Hi everyone! I am so pleased to be guest blogging at Nava’s blog today, while she is traveling.
I have known Nava from last two years and impressed the way she blogs, around 4-5 posts a week and that too after working full time in a college. She definitely needed some time off from blogging and I was happy to help. When she contacted me it was Diwali and sweets were on my mind. Then it was Guru Nanak Jayanti on Nov 17th and we celebrate this day exactly like Diwali, hence I thought to pamper your taste buds with a festival sweet, ladoo.
Ladoo is a sweet delicacy named for its round ball shape, prepared from a variety of grains and lentil flour. Among all varieties, besan ladoo is on top of my list. They are so delicious that I could gobble 2-3 ladoos in one go without worrying about the dreaded calories. Usually the ratio of ghee to besan is 1:2 but over the years I learned to make it with less sugar and ghee and have always gotten perfect result. Even my hardcore sweet loving punjabi friends make it the way I do with same proportions. You need coarser besan ( I ground chana daal to a sand like texture), ghee and sugar for these ladoos; the purer the ghee the better the taste. When I don’t have homemade ghee I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 canola oil.
There’s nothing complicated to make these ladoos, however roasting besan need some patience. It is done on medium to low heat, by stirring constantly to prevent besan from burning. In the beginning it may feel hard to move the spatula through the besan and ghee. But as it gets roasted the spatula moves easily and a sweet nutty aroma of besan fills your kitchen which makes your mouth water.
Then, it is taken off from heat and combined with sugar and cardamom powder. Thereafter the mixture is moulded into small ping pong balls.
You can also read the recipe at Nava K.
Ingredients
- 540 g (3 cup) Bengal gram daal (split brown chickpeas)
- 200 g (1 cup) fine granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil +1/2 cup butter (or desi ghee)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
- Grind bengal gram daal to a fine sand like texture.
- Heat oil and butter (or desi ghee) in a heavy bottom large skillet on medium low heat.
- Add ground daal and roast, stirring continuously for about 15 minutes (depends how low the heat is).
- Besan is roasted when the spatula moves easily through it (becomes runny if you use more ghee than what my recipe suggests), turns golden brown and gives out sweet aroma.
- Take off from heat. Add cardamom powder, coarsely chopped almonds and sugar, mix well.
- Taste the mixture. If you want you can add more sugar.
- Let the mixture cool enough to handle.
- Take 2 tbsp of the mixture in your palm, compress and then roll between your palms to make them round.
- Keep it on plate or tray lined with parchment paper. After 15 minutes roll each ball again to make smooth round spheres.
- Store in mini baking liners in a single layer. They keep well for weeks without refrigeration.
Malti Sharma
Hello Neetu, seems like you hurriedly posted this post, you know what I mean 🙂
Anyhow, love your pictures and the ladoos look perfect, just the way Gujratis make it with ladoo besan. But, I don’t have anything to grind daal how am I going to make? Any tips.
Balvinder
Yes, you are right Malti. I was pretty busy this week with work and then volunteering in the temple. When Nava messaged that my post is already up on her blog, I forgot to do some editing in the title and few little things and hit the publish button, that’s why…..the email..
Not a problem if you do not have a grinder , you can still make these ladoos with besan and to give that grainy effect add 50 g semolina.
Monica
I don’t think I’d have any problems gobbling 2-3 of these up easy either! I’m going to jump over to read the recipe…it sounds really interesting. I love making sweet things on the stovetop for a change and stirring things around is kind of relaxing! : )
Balvinder
Besan ladoos is a high calorie sweet and people most often warn you to eat in moderation. However my recipe has eliminated that concern, I used way less sugar and ghee. Enjoy!
ela@it is better when I make it myself
I jumped and read the recipe, sounds very very good. I love round finger food! And sweet too!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Love those besan balls! Delicious!
yummychunklet
Great guest post.
Kitchen Belleicious
they look fun to make and even more fun to eat!
anne
Those ladoo look delish , Bal ! I love these kind of easy to make nibbles , better than those overly sweet treats that I love to eat 😀 Will check out the recipe at Nava’s .
Balvinder
Very true Anee, these are not too sweet but you will enjoy these like the one you love to eat.
Coffee and Crumpets
The besan ladoos look fabulous! I really like ladoos one of the few Indian mithai I do like, these look very easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!
Balvinder
You are welcome, Nazneen. Besan ladoo is my ultimate indulgence, thanks for appreciating.
Nilu A
Came over from Nava’s… Ladoo’s look delicious, yummy and soo tempting… Do visit my blog.. http://kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/
Sugar et al
I read your post at Nava’s and my mouth was watering at the sight of these childhood favourites. Your recipe is very doable and I am tempted to make them at home. They look fantastic!
Balvinder
I am so delighted that my recipe made your mouth water and you are thinking to make it. Please let me know how they turn out for you!!
swathi
I like that you made with combo of canola and oil love it Neetu, Yummy guest post. Nava and you did a wonderful job.
Nava Krishnan
Thanks again Bal for the guest post. I am now in Johannesburg and have a short break before our tour starts again in the afternoon. The internet service seem perfect in the hotel I am staying now but we have to pay quite a bit.
Jennifer Eloff
LOL Balvinder, I really like that name….”ladoo” Have a great week ahead!
Shirley Tay (Blackswan)
Like I’ve said in Nava’s blog, it’s great seeing the two of you coming together! Awesome guest post, Bal!