One of the first laddu experiments that I did. Experiment sounds extremely funny, but the fact is that it was a complete experiment. I was newly married and wanted to impress my husband with my “Indian sweet” making skills. This was the time when my cooking were still doubtful and my food was mostly an experiment, when I tried something new.
Its really amazing to see yourself grow confident for something you are always so passionate about. Its not that I never make any cooking mistakes anymore, we all do at some point. Sometimes a dish made in rush turns out amazing and something that you give a lot of time to gets messed up, and leaves you wondering that what could have you possibly done wrong. But, you are a master when you learn how to fix up your mistakes and still be able to serve a lovely dish. The art of being able to fix a dish is called cooking.
Coming back to the Laddus, so these sweet balls of flavor were a hit from the first time Mr. Parveez tasted them. But, the original thought of making Laddus wasn’t what I had in mind. I was actually trying to make Rajasthani sattu. I believe the amount of ghee that needs to be added in making the sattu was the reason I didn’t get the dish right. Mr. Parveez doesn’t enjoy Ghee much, to my disappointment, and as much as I would like to add ghee to my sweets [the Marwari in me], I am not able to. So, the sattus didn’t turn out right due to me watching and deducting the quantity of ghee and once I messed that up, I needed to fix that and this is when the Laddus were made. I figured out that adding sooji gave them a little crunch and made them taste better too.
Now, the sugar that we have in USA is granulated sugar, so if you tend to use a thick grain sugar [white or brown], I would suggest you powder it before using. A lot of Laddus require chashni or sugar syrup and since this recipe requires adding sugar in solid state, you need something that mixes in properly.
These are easy to make for beginners as well. So, if you happen to be new at cooking and would like to impress loved ones with something easy and special, this recipe is for you. Enjoy!!!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1.5 cups cHANA
- 2 tbsp Sooji semolina
- 1/4 cup Ghee
- 2 cups granulated Sugar
- 4 tbsp Almonds sliced
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp Ghee For Garnishing
- 2 tbsp Pistachios For Garnishing
Ingredients
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- Grind the chana to a smooth powder.
- Turn the stove on to medium heat and ghee.
- Add the chana powder and begin to roast the powder until it becomes light golden brown in color. Stir the mixture continuously with a spatula to prevent burning. Cooking on high heat will not allow the mixture to cook evenly.
- When the color has changed slightly and you will also start to smell the sweetness of roasted Chana powder, add sooji . Continue to roast for another 10 minutes on low to medium heat, till the chana powder is completely golden brown in color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to a warm temperature. Add cardamom powder and mix it.
- Don’t let it become to room temperature. It needs to be warm enough for you to handle, if it cools down completely, you won't be able to make Laddus.
- While the mixture is warm add mix almonds, and sugar.
- Crush the pistachios to a coarse powder.
- To make the laddus, take about 2 tablespoons of warm mixture into your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round ball. The laddus are usually about the size of a ping-pong ball, but you can adjust the as you prefer.
- When you have finished making all of the laddus, take one laddu at a time and dip the tip of the laddu, around a quarter inch into melted ghee. Then lightly touch the part of the laddu with the ghee into the crushed pistachios, just enough so some pistachios stick to the laddu. 8. Put ladoos back on the plate with the pistachio side facing the top. 9. Leave the ladoos on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a covered container. The ladoos can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks. ENJOY!!!
- Put Laddus back on the plate with the pistachio side facing the top. Leave the laddus on a plate to cool to room temperature before putting into a covered container. The laddus can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks. ENJOY!!!