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

Bura (Dry Grainy powdered sugar)

Bura

Bura is sugar heated so that it loses its water of crystallization and then powdered to get rid of any lumps which are formed. In northern India and Gujarat this form of sugar is taken with rice-ghee, Chapatti-ghee combination. For making laddu my mom used to use bura rather than sugar powder. When I got married I wanted to know why I should do this extra work. So on inquiring from her she told me the secret of tasty laddu. Because when I used powdered sugar then the texture and taste of laddu did not come out same as the laddu she used to make.

She told me that bura makes the laddu very tasty and gives slightly grainy texture. Since then 32 years have passed by and I have never prepared any type of laddu without bura. now be it deepawali, Holi or any festival my preparations for the festivals start by making Bura.

Making Time: 30 min

Servings: 500 gm. Bura

Ingredients required for making Bura:

• 500 gm. Sugar

Directions For Making Bura:

• Take sugar in a thick bottom wok and heat it on low flame with continuous stirring.

Sugar being heated in a thick bottom wok

• Sugar will start getting dry after 5 min. of heating.

After 5 min. of heating on low flame

• Keep on heating it with continuous stirring.

After 10 min. of heating

• After 10-15 min. of heating its texture will change completely and it will start melting.

After 15 min. of heating

• Keep cooking on low flame with continuous stirring for another 10 min. 

After 25 min. of heating

• Switch off the gas.

• The sugar will be now dry brittle and will have few lumps.

• Take this hot sugar (Bura) on a plate and cool it to room temperature.

Coarse Bura being cooled

• When cold grind in a mixer to powder.

• Bura is ready. 

Bura

• This can be taken with rice, paratha, puri as well as used to make laddu.

Tips:

• Always use thick bottom wok.

• Stir continuously.

• Take out immediately once it is dried after melting starts.

• Continuous stirring makes sure that sugar does neither caramelize and least amount of lumps is formed.