BOONDI LADOO

    This Diwali has been a special one for me & the reason behind it is that I was able to post, classic sweets like Mysore pak & Boondi Ladoo this year. I perfected these Indian Sweets this year & I am so happy and overwhelmed to present these recipes in my blog. These are foolproof recipes which can be perfected by following some tips & tricks. And please do read all the instructions before proceeding with the Ladoo recipe.

     Ladoo/Laddu or the Boondi Ladoo, when we say Ladoo & it is always the yellow coloured ultimate delicacy in Indian Sweets. Maybe the connoisseur, 'Boondi Ladoo' is given to these Yellow coloured South Indian variation with slightly bigger balls, the Boondi. As its North Indian sibling the orange coloured Ladoo with tiny pearl-like balls with an overwhelming flavour of ghee is called the 'Motichoor Ladoo'.  Both the sweets fall into the same family.  The method of making and ingredients also are the same, but the taste, flavour and the colour differentiate the Twins into non-identical ones. As these Ladoos are made with Boondis or the Boondh which means tiny droplets in Hindi would have bought forth the name Boondi Ladoo to this Indian Sweet.

     Well, our idea is to, gobble up the sweet, whatsoever. Who is bothered about history and geography anyway. Ladoo is a popular Indian Sweet & it is one common name which always takes a priority when it comes to Indian Sweets. When buying or making a sweet for a festival, function or marriage Ladoo finds a special place. And least to mention about the Tirupathi Laddoo, the famous prasadham catered at Tirupati. A rich and decadent variation of Boondi Ladoo, known for its size - oversized Ladoos overloaded with Nuts & dry fruits and filled with the blessings of Perumal.  

    Boondi Ladoo or the Laddu is prepared, with a Gram Flour(Besan) batter. The batter is poured, through a spoon called Boondi Jhara specially designed for the purpose. These slotted spoons have wide holes on the surface, and the holes get narrower at the bottom, facilitating the batter to flow gradually, which yields perfect round shaped Boondh(drops) or the Boondis. The deep-fried besan balls are then soaked in a Sugar Syrup, flavoured with Cardamoms, Cloves and Pacha Karpuram(edible camphor) and rolled out into balls with ghee fried Nuts & Raisins.

     Cook some of the Classic Indian Sweet & Savouries this Festive Season.   Or if you are in short of time there a a few Diwali Recipes which can be incorporated even at the last time - Instant versions of Sweets & Savouries & Desserts.  

Enjoy Food and Wishing you all a Happy Diwali!!!

BOONDI LADOO

Points to remember before making Boondi Ladoo:

• The consistency of the batter plays a significant role in the shape & texture of Boondi.
• Make sure the flour has no lumps.
• Blend the Gram Flour, Yellow Food Colour, Salt & Soda-bi-carbonate along with 1 Cup of water.
• Then pour in the remaining 1/2 a Cup of water and blend it without any lumps.
• Blending it yields you with a perfect batter, with no lumps.

• * 11/2 Cups of Water for 2 Cups of Gram Flour yields you with a perfect consistency for the batter. 
  

• This measurement is perfect and yields out perfectly shaped Boondis.
• Soda-bi-carbonate also helps to yield perfect round shaped Boondis. But adding it is purely optional.
• Boondi Jhara makes the task easier when it comes to the shape of a Boondi. I use a slotted spoon for the purpose. 
• If the consistency of the batter is perfect, then slotted ladles also do justice in getting perfectly shaped Boondis.
• Fry the boondis on a very low flame until cooked & it shouldn't turn crisp.
• Make sure that Boondis do not turn brown. It should be yellowish.
• Grind half the amount of the fried boondis into a coarse powder whisking it for a few seconds in a blender. 
• This method helps you to yield soft Ladoos.
• We need a Sugar syrup of ONE STRING CONSISTENCY.
• Make sure to cook the Boondis along with the Sugar Syrup for a few minutes on a very low flame until all the sugar syrup gets well absorbed into the Boondis.
• Leave it aside for about 20-30 minutes or until the mix is warm enough to handle.
• Do not allow the ingredients to cool down.
• Roll it out into medium-sized Ladoos(balls) when the ingredients are still warm. 

For more DIWALI RECIPES, Click here... 

 Cuisine - South Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweets

 Difficulty - Medium

 Yields - 20-25 Ladoos

 Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10-15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

For more INDIAN SWEETS, Click here... 

HOW TO MAKE BOONDI LADOO

 

BOONDI LADOO

INGREDIENTS:

For Boondi:

Bengal Gram Dhal Flour (Besan) - 2 Cups

Yellow Food Colouring - 1/4 Teaspoon

Soda-bi-carbonate -1/2 a Pinch(Optional)

Salt - a Pinch

Water - 11/2 Cups

For Deep Frying:

Oil 

For Sugar Syrup:

Add-ons:

Ghee - 2 Tablespoons .

Cashew Nuts - 20-25 Nos. 

Raisins - 20-25

Cloves - 3 Nos.

Edible Camphor(Pacha Karpuram) - a small Pinch

BOONDI LADOO

METHOD:

For Boondi:

• Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Make sure the flour mixture has no lumps.
• Blend the Gram Flour, Yellow food colour & Soda-bi-carbonate along with 1 Cup of Water. 
• Then pour in the remaining 1/2 a cup of water and blend it without any lumps.
• Blending it yields you with a perfect batter, with no lumps.        
  

* 11/2 Cups of Water for 2 Cups of Gram Flour yields you with a perfect consistency for the batter.

• Heat oil in a pan, reduce to a medium flame while frying the boondis.
• You will need TWO slotted ladles for the purpose.
• One slotted ladle is to pour the batter through for making Boondi and the other one for draining it.
• Hold one slotted spoon just above the hot oil, pour a ladle full of batter over the slotted spoon and spread it.
• Ensure that the batter flows evenly through the slotted spoon and falls into perfect balls.
• The flour & the water consistency I have given is good enough to get perfectly shaped Boondis.
• Fry the boondis on a very low flame, turning them continuously which would ensure even cooking.
• Fry the boondis for few minutes.
• The boondis shouldn't turn crispy and should retain the yellow colour.
• Drain the Boondis with the other slotted spoon.
• Spread them over Paper towels.
• Repeat the process for the remaining batter.
• When the whole batch if fried, take half the amount of fried Boondis and leave the other half aside.

 Frying the Nuts:

• Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a pan and fry the halved Cashew Nuts and fry it on a low flame until it turns crunchy and slightly changes its colour.
• Once done, remove it from the ghee and line it up on a paper towel.
• Add the Raisins & fry them on a very low flame until it fluffs up & leave it aside.

For Sugar Syrup:

• Add Sugar and Water, in a heavy-bottomed pan.
• Keep this on a low flame and stir well until the sugar dissolves completely.
• Do not stir when the sugar solution starts to boil. Stirring will affect the consistency of the syrup. 
• When the sugar solution starts to boil, stir in the cardamom powder & the yellow food colour.
• Boil the Sugar Syrup on a medium-high flame until it reaches one string consistency. 
• ONE STRING SYRUP: For Boondi Laddo we need a bit of Sugar Syrup of one string consistency. To test the string consistency of the Sugar Syrup, take a spoon full of sugar syrup from the pan and pour it back and if the sugar syrup flows with the final portion springing back to the spoon/ladle in one string like consistency. Alternatively, take the syrup in a spoon or a ladle and touch it with your fingers. It should be sticky & should form into one string between your fingers. 
• Switch off the fire and leave the sugar syrup aside.
• Overheating the sugar solution will caramelize it or thicken it, which will alter the texture of the ladoo, making it hard and difficult to shape it into a ball.

BOONDI LADOO

 

For Boondi Ladoo:

• Add the half the amount of Boondis into a blender jar and grind it into a very coarse powder.
• Just whisk it briefly for few seconds using the blender.
• Add the coarsely ground Boondhis along with the whole Boondis.
• Crush the Cloves and add it to the Boondis along with ghee roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins.
• Powder a pinch of Edible Camphor and add it along with the above ingredients. 
• Gently mix the ingredients and add them into the Sugar Syrup.
• Let the heat be at a low.
• Gently mix Boondis along with the Sugar Syrup until it absorbs the Sugar syrup and the Boondi becomes slightly dry. 
• The above step will take about 5-7 minutes on a very low flame(depending upon the type of flame & stove you are using).
• Switch off the flame and spread the Laddoo ingredients on a large plate.
• Pour about two tablespoons of ghee and give a quick stir.
• Leave it aside for about 20-30 minutes or until the mix is warm enough to handle.
• Do not allow the ingredients to cool down.
• When the ingredients are still warm enough to handle, take a small portion and roll it out into medium-sized Ladoos(balls).
• Line them up on a large plate, let there be enough space and make sure that the Ladoos are placed with enough social distancing😉.
  
• Otherwise, they may stick together. 
• Keep it covered & leave it aside to set for a few hours.
• I feel the Ladoos get the right texture the next day( about 10-12 hours minimum)
• But if you can't resist the temptation, go ahead and eat it right away!
• Store the Boondi Ladoos in an airtight container. 
• If stored properly, Boondi Ladoos lasts up to a week to 10 days.
• For longer shelf life, keep the Ladoos in the refrigerator.
• Microwave for a few seconds before serving.

 

BOONDI LADOO

NOTES:

• The quantity of Water I have given in the recipe is of perfect consistency which yields perfectly shaped Boondis.
• Adding Soda-bi-carbonate is optional. It will help you to yield perfectly shaped Boondis.
• I usually blend the ingredients in a blender/mixer-grinder jar. 
• This method is to ensure that the boondi batter is lump free and also helps to mix all the ingredients into a perfect batter.
• If you happen to add more water, the Boondis may turn out into flat-shaped ones.
• So use the mentioned amount of water. 
• I have used a slotted spoon for making Boondi and have not used Boondi Jhara. 
• Deep fry the boondis on a very low flame. Otherwise, the boondis may turn crisp.
• Drop the batter into hot oil through the slotted spoon and fry the boondis for a few minutes on a very low flame.
• Make sure that Boondis do not turn brown. It should be yellowish.
• Can add more or less Cashew Nuts & Raisins if you prefer. 
• Can also add a few cubes of small Kalkandu(rock sugar/sugar candy)
• I have added a few crushed cloves in this Boondi Ladoo. But it is optional. 
• Add just a small pinch of Edible Camphor(Pacha Karpuram) which gives a default flavour present in South Indian Ladoos. But it is optional.
• Do not cook the Boondis in the Sugar syrup on a high flame or leave it unattended.
• If you cook for a long time, you may not be able to shape the ingredients into a Ladoo.
• Sometimes it can result in hard Ladoos.