Besan Ladoo has always been one of my favourite Indian desserts. I made this for the first time and also opted for a healthier version using powdered jaggery instead of regular sugar. With minimal ingredients, this is one of the easiest Indian desserts to make. Diwali is over but sweets are never enough. Even though lockdown may come to an end in the UK, home made sweets have just become a staple at home.
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Total cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 ladoos
Ingredients
- 125 gms gram flour (besan)
- 60 gms powdered jaggery (I took powdered jaggery and blended it to a finer powder)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp crushed nuts (I used 5 of each almonds and cashews)
- 3 tbsp solid ghee (about 60 ml)
- Nut of choice for garnish (optional)
Method
- Add 2 tbsp solid ghee in a pan.
- Once the ghee has melted, ensure that the heat is low-medium and then add the gram flour (besan) to it.
- Start stirring and let it mix well. It will form small lumps.
4. Add a further 1 tbsp of ghee and mix until all the lumps break down and the besan forms a smooth paste
5. Next, you need to continuously stir stir stir on low-medium until the texture of the mixture becomes a bit more free flowing and besan begins to darken. Do not stop stirring or the mixture will burn. I stirred for a total of 25-28 minutes (see picture under step 9).
6. In a separate pan, roast the crushed nuts until they become slightly brown. It should take 4-5 minutes on a low-medium heat.
7. Take off the heat and add the cardamom powder and mix.
8. Let it cool down for about 15-20 minutes.
9. Add the powdered jaggery and roasted nuts only once it has sufficiently cooled down or it will make the ladoo sticky.
10. Mix everything together until the jaggery and nuts are well combined. You will get a smooth besan dough.
11. Pinch a small portion from the dough. Press and roll between your palm to form a round shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get about 10 ladoos.
12. Top with crushed nuts of your choice (optional) and enjoy once it cools!
Hope you enjoy this!
Payal
P&K's Food Heaven 