Special thanks to my Mother-in-Law, I learnt this wonderful sweet recipe during my trip to India.

SERVING SIZE – 40 to 50 Laddu

Ingredients:

• Channa Dal Powder/Gram flour – ½ kg
• Oil – 1 Litre
• Sugar – 1Kg
• Cashew Nut – 100g
• Raisins – 50g
• Elachi Powder – 4 tbsp / as needed
• Cloves – 4
• Water – as needed
• Kesari Powder – ½ tsp
• Baking Soda – 1tsp
• Ghee – 100g
• Crystal Sugar (Kalkandu) – 50 g

Preparing the Molasses (Pagu):

• Take a heavy bottom pan. Add the Sugar and fill it with water until the sugar is fully soaked. Heat it.
• Once the sugar is melted and starting to boil, the impurities will start to float. Using a ladle take the impurities out.
• Keep boiling until the Molasses (Pagu) is formed. Consistency – If you take a drop in your thumb and touch it with the index finger and expand, it should form like a thread string between the fingers and sticky. Once it reaches the mentioned consistency, switch off and take the pan and keep it aside.
• Once the Molasses(Pagu) is cooled, add the Kesari powder to it and mix it.

Preparing the Boondi:

• Take a kadai, add the oil and heat it in medium flame.
• While it’s heating, take a bowl, add the Channa Dal powder, Baking Soda and add water. Make a batter to the consistency of Dosa Batter.
• Take a Boondi ladle, add one cup of Channa Dal Batter with the heating oil underneath it. Beat it with hand/small laddle from the top gently to form the boondi droplings on to the heating oil.
• When the droplings hit the oil, it makes the cooking noise. When the noise subsides, take the Boondi out and keep it aside and filter the excess oil. Once the oil is filtered add it to the Molasses/Pagu. Repeat the process until all the batter is finished. Also make sure the Molasses becomes fully mixed with the Boondi and no excess molasses left (Make extra batter if necessary).

Preparing the Laddu:

• Take a kadai, fry the Cashew Nut in Ghee until it becomes slightly golden color. Add the Cashew Nut to the mixed Boondi Molasses.
• In the same Ghee, add the Raisins and fry them (it will bulge) and then add it to the Boondi Molasses.
• Add the Cloves to the Ghee and fry it. Once it’s fried, crush it and add to the Boondi Molasses.
• Add the Crystal Sugar to the Boondi Molasses.
• Now mix all the contents well and keep it aside and let it cool (approx. 1 hr).
• Once it’s cooled, make Laddu balls using hand.
• Enjoy the sweet Laddu.