This is a special post for Divine Spice Box. I started this blog in May and it has been a very interesting journey since then. I tried various cuisines and re-create them with my interpretation and DSB twists. This recipe is to celebrate the joy, support and love that i got from all my readers, giving me the motivation to keep going for it !! Merci, thank You 🙂

Laddus is one sweet which is basically a synonym for celebration in India. I have grown savoring this delicate, flavorful and sinfully delicious sweet and every time i have one now, its like revisiting my childhood special moments ! I have fond memories of my mother preparing laddus on special occasions in our house and the enchanting aromas spreading in the entire house and around, attracting the neighbour’s kids to our house in search for laddus 🙂

Laddu is known for its simple, ball shape. Traditionally, it is made using very simple ingredients – flour, sugar and ghee/butter and can have nuts and dry fruits. Laddus might as well be the perfect example for “simplicity at its best“.

Laddus are simple to make though the flour needs to be roasted really well on low flame and the proportions of the ingredients need to be right – that way you get really flavorful and divine tasting laddus !!

This recipe is also part of “Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck Party”. The recipe is labelled under “Desserts” category.

Besan Laddu Recipe Preparation time : About 20 minutes Cooking time : About 40 minutes Makes : About 25 laddus (1″ dia) 2 cups chickpea flour/besan (preferably coarse)

3/4 cup ghee (depending on the thickness of the besan, you may need to add the quantity of ghee)

1 1/2 cups fine sugar

10-15 Almonds – chop into slivers

About 20 raisins

5-8 Cashews -finely chopped

3 tablespoons grated coconut (optional)

10-12 makhanas / fox nut – chopped into small bits (optional) Method Take a saucepan/kadhai. Put the flour in the pan and to it add 1/2 cup ghee. Let the ghee melt. Mix in well with the flour and start roasting. The flame should be medium low throughout the roasting process.You can add the rest of the ghee once the chickpea flour is slightly roasted and starts to change colour. Keep stirring in between to avoid the flour from sticking to the base and uneven roasting of the chickpea flour. This stage will take about 25-30 minutes. Initially it would appear that the ghee has been all absorbed by the chickpea flour and that it is very dry but as the flour starts to turn slightly golden, extra ghee would be released and the consistency would become liquidy. This stage is usually tricky and needs to be monitored well to avoid putting extra ghee or you will not be able to form the ball shape later on. Once the right colour of the chickpea flour mixture has been achieved (i like to call the color “camel color”), switch off the flame. Remove the mixture from the pan and keep aside to slightly cool down. Meanwhile keep the Almonds, cashews, raisins and coconut ready. You can also dry roast the coconut and makhana (separately) for a nuttier taste. Once the chickpea flour mixture is lukewarm, add in the sugar and mix well. Make sure that the mixture is not hot or the sugar will tend to melt, making the consistency liquidy. Check if the sugar is enough or feel free to add as desired. Add in the nuts, coconut and makhana and mix well. Form into laddu balls of the same size.

Just mid way of roasting the besan/chickpea flour, my entire apartment was filled with such amazing aromas. Not only was making the laddus delightful, it was a great experience. I suddenly felt i was mature enough to handle traditional Indian sweets 😛

These laddus tasted so much like the ones my mother used to make and i was so happy to be able to get the proportions right. My face lit up while i carefully formed the laddu balls from the mixture.

Try making these laddus at home this Diwali and trust me you would love your festivals so much better 🙂

Read on the other wonderful posts from the Virtual Vegan Linky potluck party. Happy reading !

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