BOONDI LADOO

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Boondi ladoo is a traditional South Indian sweet originated from the state of Tamil Nadu. It is made by soaking tiny, crispy gram flour droplets called as boondi, in a cardamom flavoured sugar syrup. The mixture is gently shaped into soft, round ladoos and often enriched with ghee, cloves, cashews and raisins.

Boondi ladoo has a sweet and aromatic flavour with a melt-in-mouth texture. This ladoo is especially popular during festivals, weddings and celebrations. Traditionally, in a Tamil wedding, we give 3 kinds of sweets and snacks as return gifts, and boondi ladoo is one among them. Boondi ladoo is otherwise called as kalyana (wedding) ladoo.

ABOUT THE RECIPE:

This is a traditional recipe, that we’ve been making in our family for generations. During festivals, we usually make this in bulk quantity, to distribute it to our friends and neighbours. This recipe makes around 50 medium size ladoos. Adjust the proportion of ingredients according to your preference.

Boondi ladoo can be stored at room temperature for about 10 days. Make sure to store it in a clean and dry container. Any contact with water might reduce the shelf-life of the ladoos.

INGREDIENTS FOR BOONDI LADOO:

• CHICKPEA FLOUR – 3 CUPS
• SUGAR – 3 CUP
• GHEE – 1/4 CUP
• CARDAMOM POWDER – 1/2 TSP
• BAKING SODA – 1/4 TSP
• CASHEWS – 1/4 CUP
• RAISINS – 1/4 CUP
• CLOVES – 1 TSP
• YELLOW FOOD COLOR – 1 DROP
• OIL – FOR FRYING

HOW TO MAKE BOONDI LADOO:

• In a mixing bowl, add 3 cups of chickpea flour, 1/4 tsp of baking soda and yellow food color.

• Add little water at a time and mix it to a thick batter. It shouldn’t be too thick or too thin. It should have the consistency of the dosa batter. Keep the batter aside.

• Meanwhile, in a large cooking pot, add 3 cups of sugar.

• Turn on the flame. Add 1 cup of water to the sugar and place the pot on the stove.

• The sugar has to melt and reach one string consistency.

*Take a drop of the sugar syrup between the thumb and the forefinger. When you try to pull the fingers apart, it forms a string. This consistency is called as one string capacity.

• Once it reaches the one string consistency, add the cardamom powder and turn off the flame.

• Heat a kadai, and add oil to it. Since, we make it in bulk quantity, we use around 1 litre of oil.

• Once the oil is heated, add little amount of mixed batter to a perforated ladle and gently tap it. It will form little droplets while dropping into the hot oil.

*Make sure the oil is maintained at the right temperature. When the oil is too hot, the boondi (droplets) will turn brown immediately. When the oil is not hot enough, the batter will stick to the bottom of the kadai and wouldn’t form droplets.

MAKE SURE TO WIPE THE BACKSIDE OF THE LADLE EVERY TIME BEFORE USE.

• The droplets (boondi) shouldn’t turn crispy. It should be removed when it is half-done.

* When it turned crispy or cooked completely, it wouldn’t absorb the sugar syrup.

• When they are half-done, remove it, filter the oil and add it to the sugar syrup.

• Repeat the process with the remaining batter. It took around 5 to 6 batches.
• Mix the boondi with the sugar syrup. All the boondhi has to be completely soaked in the sugar syrup.

• Add all the fried boondi to the sugar syrup, except for the last batch. Reserve it for later.

• Heat a tadka pan and add 1/4 cup of ghee to it.

• Once the ghee is heated, add the cashews to it. Fry it until it turns light golden brown in color.

• Once it turns light golden brown in color, add the raisins to it.

• Fry it and add them to the soaked boondi.

• Also, fry 1 tsp of cloves in the ghee and add it to the boondi.

• Add the reserved boondi to a blender, and blend it coarsely.

• Also add the blended boondi to the pot with boondi mixture. Blending little amount of boondi helps to hold the shape for the ladoos.

• Mix everything well. It will be little hard to mix and is the perfect consistency.
• Once everything is mixed, cover it and let it rest for 2 to 4 hours.

• After 2 to 4 hours, open it. Mix it once. Take a small portion and roll it to a ball.
• Repeat the process with all the boondi mixture.

YUMMY AND DELICIOUS BOONDI LADOO IS READY.

PRO TIPS:

• The batter to make boondi has to be in a dosa batter consistency. If it is really thick, the batter wouldn’t pass through the ladle. And, if it is too thin, it will flow easily and wouldn’t form droplets.
• The oil should be maintained at the right temperature. When the oil is too hot, the boondi (droplets) will turn brown immediately. When the oil is not hot enough, the batter will stick to the bottom of the kadai and wouldn’t form droplets.
• Wipe the backside of the ladle every time before use. The droplets won’t be perfect, when the batter is stuck on the backside of the ladle.
• The boondi shouldn’t turn crispy. It should be cooked until it’s half-done. When the boondi is cooked completely, it wouldn’t soak the sugar syrup.
• The boondi has to be added to the sugar syrup immediately after frying. The heat from the boondi helps to maintain the consistency of the sugar syrup.
• Reserve the last batch or a cup of fried boondi for blending. Adding coarsely blended boondi helps to hold the shape of the ladoo.
• Cloves are added to ease digestion since, chickpea flour is hard to digest.
• It has to be rested for at least 2 hours. Resting it will help all the boondi to soak up the sugar syrup really well.

NOTE:

The ladoos can be stored in an airtight container for about 10 days. Make sure the container is clean and dry and doesn’t have any contact with water. Any contact with water might decrease the shelf-life of the ladoos.