Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Besan Ke Laddoo

Nairobi, it's time to say 'adios' to you, with a dolorous heart and rainy eyes. Though the exhilaration of going back to desh is profound, yet the agony of not seeing you again is sore. These three months have been a potpourri filled with varied emotions, smiles, and tears. The lush green foliage, twinkly flowers, blossoming buds, and pearl rain showers, these all will always rest in my memory, never to be forgotten.
This place gave me ample time to play with my culinary skills with creativity imbibed. From baking breads to muffins, I almost found all baking artillery here which I could hardly find in India. 
Today, when this is my last post from this land, I want to make sure that I pay due regard to it and leave behind memories full of sweetness and charm. It's not just that I have to finish the gram flour and ghee before I leave, but I actually wanted to make these 'Laddoos' on a special day, so chose to do so just a day before the final day. 
Sugary, simple, yet comforting, this is an Indian Sweet that I and my hubby love a lot, joined in by our little princess who also has a sweet tooth.

BESAN KE LADDOO

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Makes 10 Laddoos


Ingredients:
1. Bengal Gram Flour/ Besan: 1 and 1/2 cups
2. Powdered Sugar: 1 cup (more if you like them sweeter)
3. Ghee/ Clarified Butter: 1/2 cup
4. Cardamom Powder/ Pisi Elaichi: 1 tsp
5. Sooji/Semolina: 2 tbs
6. Almonds and cashews (optional)

Method:
  1. Take a heavy bottomed pan/kadai and melt ghee in it.
  2. Add in the gram flour and cook on low flame for around 10 minutes, stirring continuously, till the flour turns golden brown. You will be able to breathe a nice aroma by now.
  3. Initially when you add the ghee, the mixture will not appear very greasy and runny (unlike for 'halwa' where we keep it very greasy and flowing). Slowly as the flour gets cooked, it starts leaving ghee and towards the end you'll find the mixture greasy and smooth.
  4. Put off the flame and let it cool completely.
  5. On the other hand, powder the sugar in a grinder with cardamom added to it. 
  6. Now add this sugar cardamom mix to the cooked flour and mix well with hands.
  7. Divide into 10 equal portions and make round laddoos. I have learnt a special technique of making laddoos from my grand-mom where you make a ball with both the hands, and then roll it in your right palm, letting it move to and fro, so as to get that shiny, smooth texture. 
  8. If you wish, you could add some slivered/finely chopped dry fruits to the flour mix before forming balls. 

Suggestions:
  1. If the ghee is more in laddoos, and the temperature is too warm outside, they will flatten when you make balls. In such a case, let them cool down/refrigerate for 5 minutes and then reform immediately, giving the perfect round shape. 
  2. In place of sooji, some people even use maida/all purpose flour.
  3. Adding dry fruits is always an open option, though I generally prefer them plain.
  4. Decrease or increase sweetness as per your taste.


The laddoos take off to:
 Any One Can Cook  by Umm,

32 comments:

  1. ladoos are super cute. so so delicious. nice recipe

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  2. Hey Anjali, gorgeous luking laddoo.....yum yum..

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  3. Tempting and perfectly done laddoos

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  4. Good news that you are coming back and I know where are u heading first..
    Lovely laddoos, very well made.

    FOODELICIOUS

    APRIL EVENT, ‘ONLY’- SNACKS & STARTERS + COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY

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  5. yumyum...mouthwatering laddus...beautiful clicks !!

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  6. Very appetizing and detectable ladoos !! YUM

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  7. yummy yum laddoos...can't stop eating these dear..so tempting ones :)..Please check out the Round Up of Just 4 Fun event..an award is waiting for you :)

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  8. oh...my mouth is just filled vth h2o right nw..wish liek grab this one. ..n pics r just fabulous......
    Maha

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  9. Beautiful looking ladoos.mouthwatering...

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  10. these LAddoos have come very well Anjali.. I love besan Laddoos and getting very tempt now :)

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  11. Awesome ladoos, so perfectly done..

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  12. Bengal Gram Flour/ Besan....is there other name for it or other flour we can use to do this ladoo? I'm not familiar with this Bengal Gram Flour. Thank you

    Satya
    http://chitty-boy.blogspot.com

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  13. Look absolutely divine...can't believe they are so smooth! Very tempting Anjali.

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  14. Wow, you lived in Nairobi. Not many Indians get that chance. I too am fond of Besan ke laddoo. They look delicious. Hope you have a safe journey home

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  15. awesome color n so so yummy ladoos

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  16. Your post made me nostalgic for two reasons. First, I too have spend time in the African continent and I was amazed by the beautiful weather and the flora and fauna. It was hard to leave such a beautiful place! But home is definitely the best ;-) Second, your post revived the memories of hostel days when Mum used to pack these ladoos for snack time.
    Your ladoos look perfect and the close-up shot is very tempting.

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  17. perfect rounds and great colour... my fav too... first-class recipe anjali

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  18. hi anjali, just to say thank you for your sweet comments on my post “sago dessert” at sobha’s last week.
    its sad to say goodbye to a place you like and enjoy making new friends. whenever you make these delicious ladoo, it will always be a sweet reminder, of your days in nairobi. Have a nice day

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  19. My mouth has been watering, delicious & tempting ladsoos! Lovely pics!

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  20. This looks so good, feel like grabbing them out of the screen. Thank you for linking with Any One Can Cook :)

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  21. Good luck with what lies ahead! Nice pics...

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  22. Perfectly done besan laddoo..tempting and super delicious..

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  23. Hi!
    I have nominated you for a Liebster award. Do stop by my blog to collect it!!

    http://themustardseedmeadow.blogspot.com/2012/04/mixed-vegetables-and-liebster-award.html

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  24. Feel like making one right now...

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