Traditional Besan Ke Laddoo

One of the most popular Indian sweet, besan ke laddoo never fails to impress anyone!

These round sweet balls are made by roasting the gram flour and ghee together and then adding sugar tagar to make a thick mixture that is then formed into delicious, melt-in-your-mouth balls. It is perhaps one of the traditional recipes passed on by generations and is typically made during festival seasons.

Each state in India has its own unique variations to these generic laddoos which differ with ingredients. Yet there are some common laddoo recipes made across India without any alterations to it, and besan laddoo is one such recipe.

Makes 20 medium-sized laddoos

Ingredients:
250 gms besan/chickpea flour,
250 gms tagar,
250 gms ghee,
1/4th cup muskmelon seeds or chopped pistachios or choice of dry fruits,
1 tsp cardamom powder,
1/4th tsp nutmeg powder (optional)

Method:

For Tagar:

1. Take sugar in a pan, add 1/3 cup water and cook until sugar dissolves.
2. Stir it in the intervals while cooking and cook until it reaches the thick consistency.
3. Add 1 tsp of ghee while continuously stirring it to avoid lumps.
4. Remove from the flame and keep stirring continuously until it starts forming white powdered sugar.
5. Collect it in a bowl and set it aside to cool down.

For The Laddoo Mixture:

1. Dry roast the muskmelon and choice of dry fruits and set it aside.
2. Add 175 gms of ghee in a heavy bottom pan and melt it.
3. Add the besan in the melted ghee on the low-medium flame.
4. Roast while continuously stirring it to avoid lumps.
5. Add more ghee (little by little) if the mixture appears dry.
6. As the besan roasts, you will get a nice aroma and the color will change to a slightly golden brown.
7. At this point, take some water in your hands and sprinkle it over the besan.
8. Mix it immediately. You will see the mixture frothing up and then settling down to become slightly granular in consistency.
9. Turn off the flame but, keep stirring for 1-2 minutes.
10. Pour the mixture in another bowl to slightly cool it quickly. Keep checking it once in a while and stirring it.
11. Touch and check the temperature of the mixture. It should be warm to touch.
12. Now add the tagar, roasted dry fruits, cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix all ingredients well.

To Make The Laddoo:

1. Take some mixture in your hands and bind it while rolling in your palms.
2. Bind them and give them the shape of a ball.
3. Prepare all the laddoos in the same way.
4. Store them in an airtight container.

Notes:

• You can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
• It's preferable to use thicker sized besan for this recipe.
• The ratio of ghee, tagar, and besan should be equal for this recipe. 
• You can add any dry fruit in laddoos but make sure they are roasted to increase its shelf life.
• In case laddoo mixture is runny or sticky, keep it in the refrigerator for a while.
• You can add ¼ tsp turmeric powder in the ghee to get a beautiful color.
• The laddoo splits when tagar has not mixed in the warm mixture. You can avoid this issue by adding some amount of the melted ghee in it.

Did you make this recipe?

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