Boondi Ladoos



Ladoos definitely fall under the category "no pain no gain". It may be tough to get it right the first time if you are a beginner in the kitchen, but the joy of eating home made ladoos sees no bounds of happiness. This is an easy dish to make if you get the ratio of the ingredients right and multi task. Yes you read me right multi task.

AR for the first time suggested a dish and that I make some ladoos as prsaad for pooja. Ladoos did not find their way to the prasad but I did manage to make it during the pooja. Incidentally Kavya seems to like this sweet dish too. Thanks to Chota Bheem!!

Though hesitant first to try owing to the amount of time, sugar and oil this recipe requires adding to the LPG cap, I just gave in. After all what is life if you cant enjoy small things. Too much gyaan right?? 

Ingredients
Besan/Bengal Gram Flour        - 1 and 1/4 cup
Cooking Soda                         - a pinch
Sugar                                      - 1 and 1/2 cup
                                                 (adjust according to the quality of besan and sugar you use)
Water                                     - 1/2 cup for sugar syrup 3/4 to make besan paste for boondis
Cashews                                 - 10 to 15 finely broken 
Dry Grapes                             - 10 to 15
Cloves                                    - 7-8
Cardamom Powder                 - a pinch
Ghee                                       - 2 tsps
Oil                                          - to deep fry
Perforate ladles                       - 2


My way of making ( well this time its the standard way of making)
1. Fry cashews, grapes and cloves in ghee and keep aside.
2. Sieve besan without any lumps, add soda to this and mix thoroughly.
3. Make a batter with the mix similar to that of dosa batter's consistency.
4. To check whether the batter consistency is right for boondis, mix the batter well and with the back of a tea spoon hold the batter on top of the oil, if this forms round balls its perfect, if it trails down add some more water. If the batter is lose it will form thin roundels, keep adjusting till you get round balls when dropped in hot oil.
5. Simultaneously ready the sugar syrup. Keep stirring till the sugar dissolves and once done boil to one string consistency. Most of them recommend to switch off flame once the sugar syrup has reached one string stage but I would prefer to keep it on lower most flame to avoid crystallizing.
6. Heat oil and check if its ready. Oil is hot when you drop a little batter and it bubbles up immediately. If the oil is not hot enough the batter would stick together.
7. To make boondis pour the batter through one perforated ladle and fry them for few seconds. To check the right stage, press the boondis between your fingers, if they break they are over fried for making ladoos. They should only soften when pressed. I would highly recommend you to clean the ladle after every step so as to allow free flow of batter through.
8. Once you are done with the boondis switch of the flame of the sugar syrup and wait for few minutes for the sugar syrup to cool.  Please check not to let it crystallize. Transfer the boondis and to this add the cardamom powder and fried cashew nuts, cloves and raisins.Mash down the mix with the help of the ladle.
9. When the sugar syrup has been totally absorbed by the boondis and the mix is lukewarm start rolling them into ladoos. Please do not burn your fingers in the process.
10. Store them in air tight containers or relish them as you make. 

Note
1. Make a paste from besan with little water before making batter. This ensure there are no lumps in the mix.
2. Sugar syrup gets crystallized so time your boondis and sugar syrup.
3. One  string consistency could be checked in many ways, easy way to check this is to take some syrup between your thumb and index finger and it should give you a string. But be careful not to burn your fingers!! Other way to check this when you lift the ladle from the syrup it should give you a string like consistency and yet another way is when you pour little sugar syrup in a plate with little water, it should not dissolve.
4. Wipe dry your hands before rolling ladoos to help stay longer.
5. Edible camphor can be used as well. I just preferred not to use them.        
6. Since I am lazy to click all through the process, the site here is best recommended for step by step  photographic view. 

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