Besan ke Laddu/ बेसन के लड्डू (Sweet Balls Of Split Bengal Gram Flour)

Besan Ke Laddu

Besan is flour of Horse Gram pulse from which its brown cover has been removed (Chana Dal).  Chana being very rich in protein and dietary fibers is very good for nutrition. When laddu are made from besan, addition of ghee, sugar, nuts make it almost a complete food though rich in fat. But then why not eat sweet which satiates the sweet tooth as well is nutritious also. I remember the time when I used to walk 5 km. to my college from my home in Almora, India, my mom used to keep 2 laddus in my lunch box so that I get all energy I needed from healthy source and get all nutrition also.

Besan laddu started making their regular appearance in my home because my kids loved these homemade besan ke laddu. Now they have their own family and thrive to learn to make all they used to eat and loved when they were young. Now also before first batch of laddu finish second batch is made by me because I also love them very much.

Preparation Time: 15 min.

Cooking Time: 90 min

Servings: 50 medium sizes Laddu

Ingredients Required For Making Besan Ke Laddu:

• 500 gm. Besan

• 500 gm Bura / Sugar

  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/11/bura-dry-grainy-powdered-sugar.html

• 10-15 Green Cardamom

• 15-20 Almonds

• 100 gm. dry coconut

• 350-400 gm. Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Direction for Making Besan Ke Laddu:

• Peel cardamom and coarsely powder the seeds and keep covered aside.

• Grate coconut and keep aside.

Grated Coconut

• Make bura and keep aside.

• Cut almonds and keep aside.

• Take besan in a thick bottom wok and keep the wok on gas on low flame.

Besan Being Roasted in Thick Bottom Wok

After 10 min. of roasting Besan on low flame

• Roast the besan on low flame till it changes the color to light pink brown, with continuous stirring. (roughly 30-35 min.)

After 35 min. of roasting the Besan on low flame

• Wonderful smell will start coming when the besan is roasted.

• Add ghee to the roasted besan and cook on low flame for 15 min. with continuous stirring and turning the mixture upside down.

Ghee added to roasted Besan

Besan and Ghee mixed nicely

• The color of besan and ghee mixture will become darker after 15 min. of cooking on low flame with continuous stirring.

Besan cooked with Ghee for 15 min. on low flame

•  Switch off the gas and add Bura (sugar heated and then powdered), grated coconut, finely cut almonds and cardamom powder.

Bura,Almonds,Cardamom powder and grated coconut added to Besan and Ghee mixture

•  Mix nicely to make a homogenous, smooth mixture.

All ingredients mixed to make uniform, homogenous mixture

• Let it cool enough to a temperature so that you can hold the mixture in your palm.

• Take little amount of mixture in your palm and bind it nicely to make a ball.

• Repeat till all mixture is finished.

Besan Ke Laddu

• Keep the balls in a plate at a distance of 1-2 mm. apart till they cool to room temperature.

• Store these laddus in air tight container, in dry place.

• These Laddus can be stored for a month also that is if they are not polished off by your family before that.

Tips:

• Never use high flame at any stage of cooking while making Besan ke laddu.

• Always take thick bottom wok.

• Do not allow the mixture to cool completely while making laddu from cooked besan mixture.

• If the mixture becomes cold warm it little, but do not heat too much else sugar will melt and caramelize.

• Always make bura in advance and keep in an airtight container.

Suggested Variations:

• Raisins, Pistachios, cashew nut can be added to the mixture along with almonds.

• If you do not want to make bura powdered sugar can be added but it surely changes the taste and texture of Laddu.

•  Chana dal can be roasted and then made to Besan this will reduce the roasting time and work while making Laddu.

• You can roll the Laddu in powdered sugar / Bura / desiccated coconut.

Besan Laddu rolled in Bura (Dry sugar) powder

Dip your palms in cold water in between while rolling the mixture to laddu

Til ke laddu/तिल के लड्डू ( Sweet balls made of sesame seeds and jaggery)

 Til is very rich source of omega 3. Laddu of til made in jaggery make very healthy sweet which can be taken with milk in morning or as sweet dish after meal. In fact any time is good time to eat this delicious, healthy laddus. In Kumaon (Uttarakhand) India, they are made along with shakkarpare in the month of January for Sankranti. In the bone chilling cold of Kumaon Til ke laddu with a hot cup of milk / tea along with shakkarpare make a wonderful breakfast/evening snack. My husband loves them so much that when Til ke laddu are in stock he would not eat any other sweet dish, so the stock of Til laddu is always there for him to enjoy throughout he winters till ice-cream season comes!

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: Makes 20 – 25 medium size Laddu.

Nutritional value of laddoo made with given ingredients :(approx.) 

250 gm. Til has 1444cal. 

100 gm. jaggery has 385 cal.

Protien: 45 gm

Fat :120 gm 

Carbs: 60 gm

Fibers: 40gm 

Along with this they are rich in mono and poly unsaturated fats ,calcium, vitamin B3, B6, B9, B12, Vitamin E. 

Rich in anti oxidants and are good for heart and bone health 

Ingredients Required For Til (Sesame) ke Laddu:

• 250 gm. sesame seeds (Til)

Til (Sesame seeds)

• 100gm jaggery

Jaggery

Directions for Making Til Laddu

• Break jaggery into small pieces.

Broken Jaggery

• Take a thick bottom wok and heat it on high flame.

• When hot put clean Til in it for roasting.

• Lower the flame.

• Roast Til with continuous stirring till they change color from white to brownish.

• Take them out from wok once they are brownish and keep aside.

Roasted Til

• Put broken jaggery in hot wok and cook it with continuous stirring till Jaggery becomes dark brown in color.

Jaggery being cooked

Jaggery being cooked

Jaggery ready for Til to be put in it

• Lower the flame immediately and add roasted Til in it.

Til added to Jaggery

• Mix quickly and cook for 2 – 3 min. keeping the flame is low with continuous mixing.

Mixing hot Til Jaggery mixture to make it homogenous

• Switch off the gas.

• Mix again to make sure the mixture of Til and jaggery is homogenous.

Hot Til and Jaggery mixture ready for rolling laddu

• Take cold water in a bowl and dip your hand in it.

Dipping the fingers to wet the palm with cold water

• Pick some amount of Til and jaggery mixture, press and roll it in your palm to make laddu.

Picking Til and Jaggery mixture

• The amount of mixture you take from wok to roll depends on the size of laddu you want to make.

Hot mixture being rolled

Pressing the Til and jaggery mixture to make laddu

• Repeat the same process till all mixture finishes.

• Delicious, healthy Til laddu are ready.

Til Ke Laddu

• These laddu can be stored for long time in dry container, in dry place.

Tips:

• Roast the sesame seeds (Til) to light brown color; if they are roasted to darker color then the taste of laddu will not be good.

• Do not allow the jaggery and Til mixture to become cold because it will become hard and you will not be able to make laddu from it.

• If the mixture starts becoming cold, just heat it in low flamed for two min. with continuous stirring.

Suggested Variations:

• Black sesame seeds (Kala Til) can be used instead of white sesame seeds.

• Finely cut almonds/raisins can be added to the hot jaggery and Til mixture before making laddu.

• Sugar can be taken instead of jaggery but Til laddus taste best with jaggery.