Besan Ladoo (also spelled ‘Besan ke Laddu’), is one of India’s most loved sweets that are served during religious or festive ceremonies such as weddings and Diwali festival celebrations among others. These melt-in-your-mouth dessert dumplings made from chickpea flour (besan), ghee (clarified butter), sugar and cardamom powder with nuts like pistachios & almonds etc., saffron strands can also be added.
Why I LOVE… This Recipe!
Besan Ladoo is just like a warm hug on a cold day. I feel like it’s a PARTY in my mouth the moment it touches my taste buds! My senses go into overdrive when I smell the strong aroma of roasted gram flour, and the light sweetness is just perfect. It’s really comforting but also indulgent – a culinary MASTERPIECE.
And there’s more! Besan Ladoo can be used for so many different things; whether you’re having them at festivals or on cozy nights in – little balls of joy will always steal the SHOW. Also, they are ridiculously simple to make!! With only few ingredients required and some love needed, you could have your batch ready in no time.
However what brings back memories most about besan ladoo is NOSTALGIA. It reminds me when we were kids spending time with our families cooking traditional recipes together. So not only does each bite take me down memory lane but also treats my SOUL!
What is Besan?
The process involves slow roasting “besan” until golden brown which releases an amazing fragrance then mixing it up with powdered sugar if desired along optional ingredients such as cardamom pods crushed between fingers while adding along dry fruits like finely chopped cashew nuts so that they blend well together creating this heavenly mixture before shaping into small round balls called ladoos which are left aside until cool enough for serving after setting firmness has taken place following cooling.
In this blog I am sharing a version that is easy to make and can be made easily even if you have not tried you hand in making Indian desserts earlier.
Besan ladoo: Photo Gallery
Chef Yogi’s notes
For best results always use good quality ingredients. Here are few tips:
- Besan (Gram Flour): Always buy fresh flour as it tends to turn bitter soon after milling. You can choose between super smooth or little coarse besan depending on the texture you like in your ladoo.
- Ghee (Clarified Butter): Use homemade ghee for rich nutty flavor else use any pure brand available locally which will give great taste along with enhancing the aroma of your Ladoo preparation.
- Sugar: Traditionally boora shakkar type of sugar crystals are used for these Ladoo where sugar is melted & then cooked till it reaches crystallization stage but you can also try using powdered cane or any other normal refined white sugars too just adjust quantity according to sweetness required by individual palate.
- Optional Ingredients: Chopped cashew nuts, almonds or pistachios can be added as per choice for getting crunchy mouthfeel while saffron strands may be used giving luxurious touch and bright colouring effect.
Five Desserts With Besan
- Besan Halwa: Ghee roasted gram flour sweetened with sugar and garnished with nuts.
- Besan Burfi: Also known as Chickpea Fudge, it is made from besan (gram flour), sugar, ghee or clarified butter and decorated with chopped nuts.
- Boondi Ladoo: Small round sweet balls prepared by deep frying chickpea flour batter and then dipped into the sugar syrup till they absorb the sweetness of syrup.
- Mysore Pak: A rich sweet dish of Karnataka made with besan (gram flour), ghee (clarified butter), sugar and flavored with cardamom powder.
- Boorelu (Puran Poli): A traditional festive snack popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where boiled chana dal filling is stuffed inside a dough made of besan flour which is then deep fried.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Besan Gram Flour, fine
- 1/2 cup Ghee Clarified Butter, melted
- 3 Cardamom pods
- 1 cup Crystalline White Sugar
- 1 tbsp broken Cashews
Instructions
Step-1 Roasting Cashews
- Start by adding a little ghee to the kadai for roasting the cashew bits.
- Once the cashews turn golden brown, remove them from the kadai and set them aside.
Step 2: Roasting Besan
- In the same kadai, add the besan.
- Roast the besan on low heat, continuously mixing to avoid burning. This ensures even cooking.
- Strive to remove lumps formed during roasting. This version simplifies handling, and I’ll share a hack in the upcoming steps.
Step 3: Adding Sugar
- Choose to add either powdered sugar or boora from the grocery shop.
- If making powdered sugar at home, add a couple of cardamom pods while grinding for a delightful aroma.
Step 4: Mixing Besan and Sugar
- After straining the besan, add the powdered sugar & fried cashew bits.
- You can mix them together and store in an airtight container for quick ladoo assembly when needed.
Step 5: Immediate Preparation
- If making immediately, add the roasted cashews and warm ghee to the besan and sugar mixture.
- Knead the dough, ensuring it becomes smooth.
Step 6: Shaping Ladoo
- Divide the dough into equal balls and shape them round.
Step 7: Garnish and Enjoy
- Garnish with your choice of dry fruits.
- Your Besan Ladoo is now ready to be enjoyed!
Notes
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