DALIA N DRY FRUIT LADOO

 

These Dalia n Dry fruit Ladoos were made a few days back as a part of a celebration at home. This is definitely not a family recipe, I hardly remember dalia [broken wheat] ever featuring on our mom's monthly ration list.... saying this I travel many a years back... visualising the lady carrying two heavy bags with groceries, carrying us to the school and back, going to the wet market, cooking, cleaning, doing everything with only one part-time help. Daddy being in the nationalised banking services was posted elsewhere at intervals. This was perhaps the picture of every middle class home back then. Though in decent jobs, their concept of living was different. They strongly believed in simple living and infused in us the valuable lessons of being down to the earth.

We might have come a long way which is hard earned, yet we strongly embrace our middle class values. We should not stagnate at one place neither should we forget our roots. Yet when people too close to heart misjudge you as a snob, you feel extremely hurt and broken. You suddenly feel choked and speechless in the harshness of the situation. What if you do not wish or unable to share the pain with anyone? What if you firmly believe modesty is the finest jewellery one can adorn? One cannot or should not be disrespectful unless there is a serious attack on their self respect. In such situations, go for a movie, or relax yourself with some cooking. With a realisation that talking and expressing less earns you peace, I will do considerable amount of cooking this evening after I finish sharing my philosophical notes with the world with a sweet something.

By now you might have known that my blog is as much about life and philosophy as it is about food. There is perhaps hardly any food blogger with such less knowledge of food like me. I do not even understand the ethics and protocol the food world works on. I feel suffocated at times. As some friends say "Soma, stop writing recipes and try at least some short stories". Knowing myself the best that I lack the vocabulary, in-depth knowledge, deep insights perhaps, I reject their suggestions.

Why should I stop cooking and sharing recipes? I have inherited the love for cooking from our mother and grandmother. I believe writing skills are God gifted, one can sharpen it with time and experience but no way can we develop it from the scratch. 

Just back from a lot of work, I got some 'me' time to share a recipe of a simply made sweet ladoo with you all. As told earlier, it is not a family recipe. Everyday, I go through a couple of such recipes using amazing combinations. I do keep dalia / broken wheat in my pantry for myself. My men would not have dalia khichdi or upma but trust me, they loved this ghee flavoured sweet made of dalia and dry fruits. They tasted really well and were quick and simple to do. Come, let us do the yummy DALIA N DRY FRUIT LADOO together.

INGREDIENTS :

Dalia / Broken Wheat : 1 big cup
Almond : 6-7
Walnut : 5-6
Cashew nut : 7-8
Sugar : 4-5 tbsp
Green Cardamom : 3-4

Rice Flour : 1 tbsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 2-3 tbsp

You may use your choice of dry fruit combinations.


METHOD :

Microwave the dry fruits for 30 seconds and crush them.

Soak the broken wheat in water for an hour and drain the water through a strainer, wash, let all of the water drain away.

In a wok, add 2-3 big cups of water, the sugar and the slightly torn green cardamoms.

As the water starts boiling vigorously, add the broken wheat and give a stir.

Keep the flame at low. When the water starts drying up, add the crushed dry fruits and 1 tbsp of ghee / clarified butter.

Keep stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes, add the rice flour and another tbsp of ghee, fold in well and transfer to a plate.

Once cool a bit, knead for a minute and shape into round balls.

This may not be the way how the rest prepare a dalia ladoo / sweet, but we prefer it this way; making a halwa of it and then the round sweets from it.

For a richer taste, do use milk instead of water, I am not much of friends with milk.