Besan laddu are sweet balls made from chickpea flour that are prepared for most celebrations in South Asia. Anyone can cook them at home, as long as they feel like stirring for a long time. Remember to never lose sight of the dough to prevent it from burning!
Ingrediants
Makes 10 large besan laddu or 15 small besan laddu
- 185 g of chickpea flour
- 110-150 g of ghee
- 125 g of powdered sugar
-
1 teaspoon of cardamom powder
Optional:
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of raisins
- 15 flaked almonds, cashews or pistachios
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing the Besan Laddu
Step 1. Melt the ghee
Heat it in a pan until it melts. Once melted, add the chickpea flour, stirring constantly.
- Start with 110g of ghee. If after the next step some of the chickpea flour is still dry or if you prefer the besan laddu to be extremely soft and shiny, add more in the size of one tablespoon at a time.
- Ghee is clarified butter that has been caramelized over low heat to give it a pleasant nutty aftertaste. You can replace it with common butter, but the result will be less tasty.
Step 2. Toast the dough over medium-low heat
Stir continuously for about 10-12 minutes as the flour gradually acquires a golden color. This is the most important step. Removing the pot from the heat before the time, the dough will be unpleasantly undercooked on the palate, while overdoing the cooking could burn the flour. Stirring constantly is helpful in avoiding these problems.
- Use an Indian karahi, wok, or high-sided skillet.
- In the Hindi language, the term "besan" means chickpea flour. The Tamil population uses the word "kadalai maavu" instead. This information can be helpful if you shop at an Asian food store.
Step 3. Add the milk and cardamom
First, incorporate the cardamom powder. If you plan on adding milk and / or cinnamon to add flavor to the recipe, it's time to do it. Stir for a few seconds, then turn off the stove.
Milk makes the dough softer and tastier, but reduces the shelf life. If you want, you can avoid adding it
Step 4. Let the dough cool in a bowl
Transfer it to a large bowl and stir continuously for a minute to prevent it from burning. Set it aside undisturbed and let it cool for 10 minutes. This will prevent the sugar from melting, but will still be able to mix it into the dough.
As the dough cools, you can make boora if you intend to use it instead of sugar
Step 5. Incorporate the icing sugar
Pour it into the dough, then mix for as long as it takes to distribute it evenly. Do not add sugar while the dough is still very hot or it could burn. Wait for it to reach room temperature.
If you only have granulated sugar available, turn it into powdered sugar using a food processor, coffee grinder, or spice grinder
Step 6. Shape the balls
Wash and dry your hands. Shape the dough between your fingers into balls. Once ready, close them in an airtight container. If you want to decorate them, follow the instructions in the next section of the article.
- If the dough is too dry to knead and shape, add another teaspoon of ghee and try again. Keep incorporating more ghee until you can make compact balls.
- Placing the dough for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator before kneading can also help make the balls easier.
Part 2 of 2: Adding Additional Ingredients
Step 1. Add raisins
You can pour it directly into the dough before forming the balls or use it as a decoration after having shaped them. If you want it to taste even more delicious, sauté it in ghee first. When it becomes crisp, pat it dry with kitchen paper to absorb excess fat.
Alternatively, you can add chopped nuts
Step 2. Decorate the balls with almonds, cashews or pistachios
You can choose the nuts of your choice and use it to garnish the top of each besan laddu. Press it gently against the surface of the ball so that it penetrates lightly into the dough.
Step 3. Sprinkle the besan laddu with almond flour
In addition to adding flavor, it will form a crunchy crust around the balls; for this reason it is better to use a not too fine one. Roll one ball after another in the flour.
If you intend to buy almond flour at an Asian food store, remember that the Hindi term for almonds is "badam"
Step 4. Use boora instead of powdered sugar
Traditionally, many people make their own boora and use it as a substitute for sugar to make besan laddu. This is a quick and easy recipe that requires the use of common ingredients. The doses indicated below allow you to prepare a large amount, which you can save to create other desserts:
- Pour 450 g of granulated sugar and 120 ml of water into a saucepan. If possible, use Indian karahi or alternatively a common pan with high sides.
- Heat the mixture on the stove. Bring it to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of milk and start mixing again. If foam forms on the surface, remove it with a slotted spoon.
- Add a tablespoon of ghee to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the syrup until it becomes very thick and almost transparent; it will take about 10 minutes. Keep stirring vigorously all the time.
- Turn off the stove and move the pot to a cold surface. You need to keep stirring until the syrup cools.
Advice
- When you pour the milk into the flour and ghee mixture, you should see it sizzle and quickly disappear into the dough.
- Many people add ghee right away; this method also works, but in this case mixing will be more difficult and the consistency of the dough may not be as good.
Warnings
- Use low heat and mix the dough without stopping, otherwise it could stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- The ghee and chickpea flour mixture will be hot, so be careful.
