With a smooth, soft, melt in the mouth texture, Besan Ladoo is one of the most popular Indian sweets. The best part? You only need 3 ingredients to make this!
Besan Ladoo is commonly made during the festive season in India. Though in my house, we never waited for any festival to make it! My father had mastered the art of making these – plain or with nuts and raisins, as the mood demanded. Because we ate such wonderful ones at home, I rarely like anything from the market. I have inherited his sweet tooth and amongst the many desserts I love, this has always topped my list.
Since I was always taught I must learn to cook ( at least) whatever I loved to eat, getting around to making my favourite besan ladoo was a no brainer! It helped that this requires just 3 ingredients and not a whole lot of time slaving over the stove. Shaping them into round balls is the real fun part that now my children enjoy too.
Now the ingredients..you only need chickpea flour ( gram flour), ghee and sugar. For a touch of extra flavor, some cardamom powder is always welcome. In this recipe, I went with jaggery powder instead of regular sugar. Not only did the jaggery give a beautiful brown hue, but it also imparted its characteristic deep earthiness.
While the recipe and ingredients are very simple for making Besan Ladoo, here are some notes to keep in mind:
- The besan or chickpea flour must be roasted 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. This would take about 15 -20 minutes.
- In this recipe, I add the ghee after the besan has reached this stage. There is some more roasting with the ghee for another 10-15 minutes.
- The sugar must be added after the besan is well roasted with the ghee and the pan is taken off the heat. Otherwise, it will melt and you will lose the texture needed for binding the ladoos.
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- 2 1/4 cups Besan / chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup Ghee
- 3/4 cup Jaggery Powder
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- Dry roast the besan in a kadai or thick bottomed pan for 15-20 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.
- Take it off the heat, let it cool for 5 minutes and add the cardamom powder and the jaggery powder. Mix well.
- Let this mixture cool down a bit, and then shape into round balls. These ladoos are now ready to eat. Enjoy!
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