Besan Ladoo / Besan ka Laddu | Vinayaka Chaturthi Recipes

This ladoo will always remind me of my friend Prathibha who I lived with in Hyderabad. Every time we pass by a sweet shop, she would buy atleast 2 of these, eat one, and leave the other in the fridge for later. The ladoos were safe from me because I was never a huge fan of them, preferring milk-based sweets to these besan ladoos. I have wanted to try making them for a long time though, and what pushed me to it finally was the sudden desire to post more festival sweets recipes and a bag of besan almost threatening to go bad on me. 

Besan Ladoo / Besan ka Laddu Recipe

Makes 12-15 ladoos depending on size

Source: Simply South by Chandra Padmanabhan

Related Recipes: Vella Kozhukkattai | Maladu (which amma and I made the night before my wedding)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup ghee (I used slightly less than this, don't skimp too much though)

1 cup gram flour or besan (kadalaimavu)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

6 almonds, chopped coarsely

6 raisins (I didn't add this)

6 cardamoms, powdered

How I Made It:

1. Heat ghee in a pan over low heat. Don't bring to boil or anything, just heat it up well. Add the besan and cook for 4-5 mins stirring continuously till the raw aroma disappears and it turns a golden brown. 

2. Remove from heat and add milk, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. I let the milk trickle in to avoid this. Once mixed well, set aside to cool a little. 

3. Then mix in the almonds, sugar, raisins, and cardamom powder. 

4. When its warm enough to handle, shape into lime-sized balls. At this stage, you can add a bit more ghee if you want. I started with a little less than 3/4 cup and added more while shaping them. 

Notes:

- These besan ladoos are very delicate (which is why you shouldn't skimp on the ghee, because it acts as a binding agent and holds it together) so handle carefully and store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

- You can add about 2-3 tbsp of rava (semolina) to the mixture if you want some added texture. I avoided this because I wanted a smooth besan ladoo. 

What's cooking in your kitchens for Vinayaka Chaturthi this year?