They are not just delicious but they are very aromatic and have a melt in mouth texture! Learn to make this decadent sweet with this easy fail-proof step-by-step recipe and video! The festive season is around the corner. Indian festivals mean a lot of sweets to enjoy and share with family and friends. One of them is Besan Ladoo.
What is Besan laddu?
Besan is a Hindi word, which means Gram flourLadoo means Round balls
Besan Ladoo is round sweet balls made by roasting gram flour and ghee together and then adding sugar to make a thick pasty dough that is then formed into delicious, melt-in-your-mouth balls. Flavors like cardamom and nutmeg are added and then garnished with dry fruits. Besan ladoo is such a recipe that I make at many festivals. It is one of the traditional Indian Mithai recipes passed on by generations and is typically made during festival seasons like Diwali. These ladoos are full of nutrition and loved by all, be it adults or kids. On top of everything, they are made with just 3 ingredients, and a topping of dry fruits, silver vark, and saffron. These delicious ladoos are so simple to make that even beginners can make them without fail! In Gujarati, these laddus are also called Magas (Magaj na ladoo). There are many ladoo varieties, like Rawa laddu, Motichur ladoo, coconut laddu, but besan ladoo is one of my favorite and the most popular, especially during festive occasions. This besan ladoo recipe is really easy. The most important part of making a tasty and perfect laddu is the roasting part. The Besan(gram flour) needs to be roasted enough so that they are cooked thoroughly which also releases their aromatic flavors. Proper roasting is the key to getting the correct dough consistency so that the balls can form easily and stay together. Once you have that down, the rest of this recipe is easy! The step-by-step process of making this recipe, along with the tips below, will have you making tasty ladoo in no time. Although this recipe is easy, some patience and strong arm muscles are required to get the perfect laddu. This foolproof method will give you a ladoo with the perfect sweet taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture every time.
Ingredients required
You will need,
Besan (gram flour) – Always choose good quality flour to avoid the bitter taste. Always taste the flour before using it to ensure it is not bitter. Usually, a coarse variety of gram flour is used to make this recipe. I have used a smooth variety. It works absolutely fine. It gives melt in the mouth texture in laddu.Sugar – The sugar that is traditionally added is what we call Boora, Buru, or bura in Hindi. Boora is ground unrefined sugar and made with sugar that is not processed or bleached.But I couldn’t find this sugar variety so I just crushed castor sugar and used it in this recipe. I crushed the sugar coarsely to get the little crunch in laddu. But if are a fan of completely smooth textured laddu, you may use finely powdered sugar. To make this laddu refined sugar-free, you can use Jaggery too. Jaggery works absolutely fine. The only difference will be in color. The color will be slightly darker.Ghee – I have used homemade ghee. You can use store-bought too. Make sure when you measure ghee, it should be at room temperature, neither melted nor refrigerated.Flavorings – For flavors, I have used cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. I highly recommend you to use cardamom powder. Nutmeg powder is optional.Nuts – I have used coarsely crushed almonds to garnish my ladoos. You can add any nuts, crushed or chopped, of your choice in the laddu mixture itself too. Just add it with sugar and mix the ladoo mixture.Garnishing – Garnishings are really important for every dish, as they say, “We eat with our eyes first”. Apart from nuts, I have used saffron, silver vark, some dried rose petals, and crushed almonds. You can garnish it whatever way you like it or can completely skip the garnishing part.
How to make this recipe? Step by step process
Sift the besan and measure it. It besan should come to 1 cup. Keep it aside. Add ghee to the heavy bottom pan. Let it melt on a low flame. Now add besan. Keeping the heat low, slow roast the besan flour, while stirring constantly with a spatula. Continue to stir evenly and break the lumps that will form initially. It will start to loosen up a bit. Keep stirring continuously on low heat. After about 15 minutes, the flour will start to loosen up and become light and fluffy. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes or until the flour turns light golden brown. At this stage the ghee will start to separate, filling the kitchen with a delightful nutty aroma. I roasted the besan for around 25 minutes on low heat until it had a nice and light golden color. Turn off the heat. Be cautious at this stage and remove the pan from the stove quickly. Keep stirring the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until it cooled down a little. This will avoid the besan from being overcooked. Then add the cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix. Let the besan cool down for at least 20 minutes. NEVER add sugar to hot besan else the sugar will melt. You will end up having a runny mixture and then you won’t be able to bind the ladoos. Once the roasted besan is cool down, add in the sugar. (you can add crushed or chopped nuts at this point). Now, mix everything together until the sugar is well combined. You will get a smooth besan dough. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Take one part, press, and roll between your palm to form a round shape. Repeat with the remaining parts. Garnish with crushed nuts, saffron, rose petals, or edible silver leaves (chandi ka vark). Store besan ladoo in an airtight container and enjoy!
Notes and pro-tips
The most crucial step to keep in mind while making besan ladoo is to make sure the besan is roasted properly. It will take time and some muscle power. You will need to have a lot of patience. Do not rush this step! If you don’t roast the besan properly, the ladoos will taste bitter pasty and raw.You will be able to tell from the aroma and, color, and consistency of the mixture. You will notice Some ghee floats on top and you will see a molten lava kind of consistency.Keep the heat on low at all times while roasting the flour. If the heat is high, the besan will turn brown quickly and might burn while still being raw.It only takes a minute for the well-roasted besan to burn. So be extremely cautious at the final stage.The roasted besan must be cool down at least 15 minutes before adding sugar. If you add the sugar while besan is still warm, the sugar will melt and you won’t be able to make the laddus.You can grease your palms with ghee before shaping the balls if the mixture sticks to your hand.If making a larger quantity, use a wider bowl to maximize surface area.Stirring the besan and ghee mixture continuously is really important. You need to stir continuously as you roast. This process will take around 20 to 25 minutes! But the end result will be worth it, trust me!
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