Besan Ladoo With Jaggery
Besan ladoo with jaggery is one of the easiest Indian sweets you can make at home. You just need 4 ingredients - besan, ghee, jaggery, and cardamom - and about 40 minutes to turn them into soft, fudgy ladoos. No complicated technique, no sugar syrup to worry about, and no special equipment!
This easy besan ladoo recipe is the one my father loved and made every Diwali. So naturally, I have been making it for years too. Traditionally, besan ladoos are made with bura, a finely powdered sugar commonly used in Indian mithai. My version uses jaggery powder instead for a deeper, caramel-like sweetness. The most important step is to roast the gram flour patiently until it’s fragrant and golden. Once that’s done, the rest is quick and easy, and you’ll have a batch of delicious homemade besan ladoos with jaggery ready to enjoy.
Looking for more easy besan recipes for your Diwali sweets platter? Try my easy besan burfi, besan halwa, and besan burfi with condensed milk.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Just 4 ingredients. Besan (gram flour), ghee, jaggery, and cardamom are all you need.
- Quick to make. These ladoos come together in about 40 minutes!
- No sugar syrup. There is no syrup to cook. We simply add the jaggery powder to the besan-ghee mixture.
- Soft and fudgy. Slow-roasted besan gives the ladoos their rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Easy homemade mithai. These ladoos are super easy to make and perfect for beginners too.
Recipe Ingredients
Besan: Also called gram flour or chickpea flour. This is the main ingredient and needs to be roasted patiently until golden and fragrant. You can use coarse or fine besan; both work well.
Ghee: Adds richness and makes the besan laddus fudgy and soft. Use homemade ghee or good-quality store-bought ghee.
Jaggery powder: I have used jaggery powder in this recipe. Jaggery gives these ladoos a deeper, more complex flavor, just like in my jaggery rice recipe. Traditionally, bura or boora, which is finely powdered sugar (not to be confused with icing sugar or confectioner's sugar), is used. You can use the same quantity of bura if you prefer.
Cardamom: Adds a warm, fragrant flavor to the besan ladoos.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Besan Ladoo With Jaggery
Step 1: Dry roast the besan in a kadai or thick-bottomed pan for 10-12 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring continuously.
Step 2: Once the besan is light golden in color, add the ghee and roast it for another 10-12 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring so the mixture doesn't get too brown and gets well roasted.
Step 3: The mixture will get thick, glossy, and have a paste-like consistency. You will see that the mixture has started to release ghee, turned light golden brown, and is aromatic.
Step 4: Take it off the heat, let it cool for 5-10 minutes, and add the cardamom powder and the jaggery powder.
Step 5: Mix well until you get a smooth dough.
Step 6: Take a small portion of this dough and shape it into a round ball using the palms of your hands. This will make 14 ladoos.
Top Tips
- Roast the besan or chickpea flour on low heat. If the flour is not roasted well, it will have an unpleasant raw taste. So take your time, and roast until the flour is lightly golden and you get a nutty aroma.
- Keep stirring the chickpea flour constantly as it roasts. It can burn very quickly and give a bitter taste.
- Let the well-roasted besan-ghee mixture cool for about 10 minutes before adding the jaggery powder or bura (if using). Otherwise, the jaggery will melt, and the mixture will become too loose to bind.
- There are many brands of besan available in the market. Depending on the kind of besan you are using, the besan-ghee mixture may look more runny and not thick and paste-like. But don't worry, it will thicken as it cools.
- The amount of time it will take to roast the besan properly will depend on the thickness of the pan you're using and the intensity of heat used.
- Weigh the ingredients using a kitchen scale for better and consistent results.
How To Store
Store these besan ladoos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. You can also refrigerate them for up to 1 month. Warm them for a few seconds in the microwave to soften them.
Recipe FAQs
Why do my ladoos taste raw?
Besan has most likely not been roasted long enough or was roasted on high heat. It has to be roasted patiently on low heat, while stirring continuously, until it's golden and has a nutty aroma. After adding ghee, you need to roast it some more. You will know when the ghee starts floating on top and the mixture is golden brown.
How do I know when the besan is properly roasted?
The besan will deepen in color, become fragrant, and start to loosen as the ghee is absorbed. You’ll notice a distinct, nutty aroma. Don’t rely on color alone - taste a tiny amount when it’s cooled enough. It should taste cooked, not raw.
Why are my besan ladoos not binding?
If the mixture is too dry, the ladoos won’t hold together. You can add a teaspoon of hot ghee at a time to the mixture. If the mixture is too liquidy, there is too much ghee or the jaggery was added when the mixture was still hot, and you won’t be able to shape the ladoos. Refrigerate the mixture for 15-20 minutes, then shape them.
Can I use powdered sugar instead of jaggery?
Yes, absolutely. Use bura or finely powdered sugar. If you can’t find bura, simply grind granulated sugar in your coffee grinder to powder it and use it in this besan ladoo recipe.
Can I add nuts or raisins to my besan laddus?
Absolutely! You can add finely chopped cashews, almonds, pistachios, or raisins to the besan-ghee mixture along with the jaggery. I prefer these ladoos plain, so I don’t add any.
More Diwali Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Besan Ladoo With Jaggery
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups Besan/chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup Ghee
- 3/4 cup Jaggery Powder
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
Instructions
- Dry roast the besan in a kadai or thick-bottomed pan for 10-12 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring continuously.
- Once the besan is light golden in color, add the ghee and roast it for another 10-12 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring so the mixture doesn't get too brown and gets well roasted.
- The mixture will get thick, glossy, and have a paste-like consistency. You will see that the mixture has started to release ghee, has turned light golden brown, and is aromatic.
- Take it off the heat, let it cool for 5-10 minutes, and add the cardamom powder and the jaggery powder. Mix well to form a smooth dough.
- Take a portion of this dough and shape it into a round ball using the palms of your hands.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios (or any other nuts) and rose petals, if you wish. Serve!
Notes
- Roast the besan or chickpea flour on low heat. If the flour is not roasted well, it will have an unpleasant raw taste. So take your time, and roast until the flour is lightly golden and you get a nutty aroma.
- Keep stirring the chickpea flour constantly as it roasts. It can burn very quickly and give a bitter taste.
- Let the well-roasted besan-ghee mixture cool for about 10 minutes before adding the jaggery powder or bura (if using). Otherwise, the jaggery will melt, and the mixture will become too loose to bind.
- There are many brands of besan available in the market. Depending on the kind of besan you are using, the besan-ghee mixture may look more runny and not thick and paste-like. But don't worry, it will thicken as it cools.
- The amount of time it will take to roast the besan properly will depend on the thickness of the pan you're using and the intensity of heat used.
- Weigh the ingredients using a kitchen scale for better and consistent results.
