Boondi Laddoo

It is often prepared on festivals or for household events such as weddings and births or given as a Prasad at Hindu temples. The laddu or laddoo can be made from gram flour (besan), semolina (rava), wheat flakes, and many other flours. It is also a common nickname for sweet and lovely people. After making this, this is what I felt: “Making ladoo is not as hard as I thought”. 

Ingredients:

For boondi:

Gram flour                    3 cups

Water                           2 cups

Ghee                            1 Tbsp

Oil/ghee                       for deep frying

Cashew nuts                 ½ Cup, roasted in ghee
a fine-holed shallow strainer spoon

For syrup:

Sugar                           2 ½ cups
Water                           1 ½ cups

Cardamom powder       1 tsp
Milk                             2 tbsp

Saffron/ Kesari colour   1 pinch (optional)
Preparation:
For syrup:

Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil till single thread consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix. Remove from heat and keep aside.

For boondi:

Mix flour and water to a smooth batter.

Heat oil/ghee in a heavy frying pan.

Hold strainer on top with one hand. With the other pour some batter all over the holes. Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot oil. Fry and remove when light golden and set aside. Care must be taken that the boondi should be cooked well but not crispy. Repeat the same for the remaining batter.

Warm the 2 Tbsp of milk and add saffron/ food colour and add to the syrup. Mix in the boondi and fried cashew nuts in the syrup.

Drain any excess syrup. Spread in a large plate and Cover and keep for 10 minutes so that the boondi absorbs the syrup. Shape into laddoos with moist palms. Cool and keep open to dry and store in containers.