Special Besan Ladoos, quintessential for weddings and celebrations. Sweet, rich and simply irresistible!
Ladoos are a typical Indian dessert found throughout the Indian Subcontinent popular during celebrations and special occasions. From large baseball size ones to smaller bite size individual servings, they are shaped into circular balls. Ladoo’s can be made in with various ingredients using besan (chick pea flour), boondi, atta for choorma…etc. Still the original ones are made with besan flour; crunchy nuts, fragrant saffron, ghee, sweet rich goodness!
Ladoo’s are a must for weddings, but also served on various happy occasions and celebrations like Diwali, Eid and even used for religious offerings. Of with such rich ingredients, its an occasional treat; be sure to take a walk afterwards.
There are many ways to make it, however this recipe is a special one. My grandma (naani) was well known for making the best ladoo’s in town, and has passed on the skills to my mom. This is one of those recipes that everyone kept telling me I must learn from my mom! I have and now I am sharing this special recipe with you. The added ingredients take these ladoo’s to a whole new level. Yes it takes some work, but it is well worth it, trust me!
Makes: 25 small bite size ladoo’s
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups of besan (chick pea flour)
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup melted ghee (can mix in part oil if you like)
- 2/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (elaichi)
- 1/8 tsp orange food color
- Pinch of Saffron
- Oil for frying
- 1/4 package or 1/2 cup mava (khoya) grated
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds (no skins)
- 1/8 cup golden raisins
- In a pot on medium heat, add water, sugar, orange color, elaichi, and saffron to a boil. Boil for 10 mins and then turn off. It should be a medium thick chasni sugar syrup mixture (1 taar/1 string).
- In a bowl, make a dough using the besan, 1/4 cup evaporated milk, 1/4 cup melted ghee. This will be a hard stiff dough. make small 20 muthias, round ovals with your hands. Don’t worry about the size or shape, they will be ground up later.
- In a frying pan add oil and heat on medium high. Add muthias and fry till both sides are very lightly colored golden but mostly yellow. There should be no dark brown. See picture
- While hot, add these fried muthias to a food processor and grind into a fine powder.
- In a large pot, mix together, the powdered muthias, grated mava, almonds, raisins, chasni sugar syrup, 1/4 cup melted ghee, 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Milk together well.
- Now put that pot on the stove on low heat and cook for 5 mins, keep stirring. Taste the mixture, there should be no raw flour taste.
- While still hot/warm, once you can handle the mixture, roll 25 small balls tight with no cracks on exterior surface.
- Optional: Garnish the top of the ladoos with nuts if you like.
- Let them sit on the counter for 2 hours to set, then you can enjoy them.
Tips:
- Ladoos will stay good in the fridge for a week or in a properly sealed container, they will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To make them consistent size, I use a small ice cream scoop for cookie batter.
- Before rolling them, taste the mixture. If you would like it sweeter, you can add powdered sugar per your taste.
- For other simple dessert ideas, check out more recipes in the Sweets Section.