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Laddu

Serves 4
45 mins
150 Kcal
Laddu is a sweet, much in demand, confection in South Asian cuisine, with everything traditional and festive going on within the diminutive-hearted sweetmeat. Native to the Indian subcontinent, laddus are usually made out of their base elements such as gram flour (besan), semolina (suji), or even ground nuts, each one promising a different culinary taste and experience. Laddu is made by roasting the base ingredient in ghee or clarified butter until it reaches a rich golden-brown colour, after which sugar and aromatic spices such as cardamom are mixed with it to give it a warm, inviting fragrance. Once the mixture acquires the perfect consistency, the mixture is cooled and then shaped into small, round balls. Laddu breaks with a crumbly and tender texture in your mouth with an explosion of sweetness. To enhance the flavour and look of laddu, it may be garnished with slivers of almonds or cashews, or even sprinkled with edible silver leaf called vark. Laddu is not only a delicacy to be relished but contains a lot of cultural importance, too. It is prepared on festivals like Diwali and weddings or any occasion when people rejoice in their good luck. Each region adds its own snitch to laddu with the available ingredients and flavours, but the essence remains the same: to state that it is sweet and auspicious. Consumed alone for indulgence or shared with family and friends, laddu conveys a taste of tradition combined with elegance. Rich in its flavour and high on handling delicacy, it's turned out to be a personal favourite sweet dish that draws huge appeal even in present times to families and households. Let's explore the Laddu recipe.

Ingredients required for Laddu

  1. 2 cups besaan
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1 cup ghee
  4. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Cooking steps for Laddu

  1. 1
    Begin heating a heavy-bottomed kadai or pan on low flame. Pour in 2 cups of besan or gram flour. The secret to perfect laddu lies in roasting the besan in a slow and even manner till it acquires a golden brown colour and nutty aroma. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon so as not to let the flour stick to the bottom of the pan while roasting. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
  2. 2
    During this roasting process, the colour will be golden brown and fill your kitchen with a distinct, rich fragrance. Once it is golden brown in colour and the aroma is rich and nutty, it is time to add the ghee. Now, slowly pour ghee into the roasted besan, continuously stirring it. The ghee should be warm and not hot. Continue to cook this mixture on a low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then. This ensures that the ghee has combined well with the besan and cooks out a smooth consistency of the mixture. The mixture starts to leave the sides and begins to come together as a unit.
  3. 3
    Let the heat go off and allow the besan-ghee mixture to cool down a bit so it is warm to your hand, not too hot, which is easy for laddu shaping. Cooling also ensures a proper incorporation of sugar and cardamom powder without melting them.
  4. 4
    Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder to the mixture once it cools down enough. Cardamom adds an excellent aromatic flavour that goes well with the sweetness of sugar and the richness of ghee. Mix everything together until the sugar fully dissolves and is well incorporated into the besan-ghee mixture. The mixture should be of such consistency that it holds when pressed.
  5. 5
    Take small portions of the mixture while it is warm but not hot and shape it into round balls or laddus. You can give these the ball shape with your hands, pressing gently so that they don't break. If the mixture cools down further and becomes too difficult to shape, reheat it lightly or use slightly warmed hands to shape the laddus.
  6. 6
    Press a raisin or cashew nut on top of each laddu gently, so that it adds the final touch of elegance to it. This not only increases the appeal but also adds to the nice crunch and flavour contrast.
  7. 7
    Now, let the laddus cool on a tray or plate. Give it time to cool and set properly. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. This recipe of laddu will stay fresh for days and generally tends to taste better with time as the flavours meld together.

Shop Ingredients

Ghee (1 cup)
397
573
325
319
676
742
126
398
574
631
Cardamom Powder (1/2 Tsp)
256
284
334
399
Sugar (1 cup)
50
50
51
245
307
74
75
44
99
267
Besaan (2 cups)
60
123
118
50
118
80
126
76

FAQs

What varieties of besan can be used to make laddu?

If laddu is too sweet to my taste, how can I make adjustments for less sweetness?

Can laddu be stored, and if yes, how long?

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