BESAN LADOO

Any kind of Ladoo is welcome in our home. It is a versatile dry sweet, can be made with a variety of ingredients. When I explore through G+, I feel amazed to see even millet ladoos. Curiosity leads me to read every word of the recipes. Really like how people experiment with different ingredients, prepare new dishes or add life to old ones with a little twist. I enjoy watching all these, in the process learning more about variety in food.

Besan / Gram Flour Ladoo is not common in a Bengali household. I had a taste of it at a very young age from my non-Bengali friends. If I visited their homes, I would greedily wait when the lady of the respective homes would get me some from that big glass jar in a plate. I would finish one plateful in minutes. I would wait for those kind words, "Do you want more?" Obviously the answer was always yes!

In our home, since childhood I have seen mom making ladoos with coconut, puffed rice, flattened rice, sesame seeds. But we called them Moya / Naru. I had a basic idea about how ladoos are made. Yesterday evening, I was just sitting idle back from work, was not willing to go for my regular jogging session. That is when I felt like preparing something in a jiffy which will also be tasty. I had a fresh packet of gram flour bought a day before, hence the idea of BESAN LADOO / GRAM FLOUR LADOO popped up. You need few ingredients to prepare it within an hour.

INGREDIENTS :

Besan [gram flour] : 200-250gm
Sugar : 6tbsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 150ml + 2tbsp
Green Cardamom : 4
Cashew Nut : 8-10

METHOD :

Crush the green cardamoms and cashew nuts.

Heat 150 ml ghee in a pan, add the crushed green cardamoms and cashew nuts.  Stir for a while, add the gram flour. Keep on stirring it at  low heat for about 7-8 minutes.

When the raw smell goes and the besan turns light brown, switch off the gas stove, store it on a plate.

Add sugar to the pan and sprinkle some water.

As it gets sticky, add the roasted gram flour, 2tbsp ghee , fold in well. Stir at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a small cup of water and fold in well.

As it takes the form of a dough, transfer it to a plate. Let cool.

Grease your palms with a drop of ghee. Tear off smaller portions, smoothen rolling between the two palms.

I believe they taste the best when eaten fresh.