Besan ke Laddoo

Hidey ho everyone...

Fig. 1. Besan ke Laddoo

Firstly I must apologize for not visiting my co-bloggers a lot lately. Just busy. Also to my readers, I must apologize for the longish duration I have not posted here. I have been cooking. But my pics aren't coming out too great. I flatly blame the dark evenings and short daylight hours for this!! Finally this pic seems to have turned out ok. So these Besan ke Laddoos are okayed to be posted. :)

This recipe is from Manjula's Kitchen. Actually I am not such a big fan of Besan ke Laddoo. Despite a humongous sweet-tooth, I never seem to have craved for them. I guessed that meant that I was not super-fond of this variety of Laddoos. And yet.. Manjula's Kitchen.. and her videos.. her videos are really are cute. I had to make them after I saw her make these!

I thought, chalo.. post-Halloween Holiday Season is officially here. So I can enjoy the making of the Laddoos, surely someone will enjoy the eating of them!

And I must admit the finished product is just really delicious! Even I have changed my mind. I think it may be because they were super-fresh.. warm and fragrant, right off the pan! Not too greasy, not too sweet... I must admit that it sure does make a difference when you make something at home and hog on it fresh and warm!

Ingredients:
Besan (gram flour) -1&1/2 cup
Rava/Sooji (semolina) - 2 tablespoons
Butter - 1/2 cup, unsalted, melted (I used about 2 teaspoons less.. just enough to be bound)
Sugar - 3/4 cup (can put slightly less also.. taste and see the mixture if you need all of it. I put about 2 teaspoons less.)
Elaichi (Cardamom) - 4 pods, peeled, finely powdered. Do this fresh.
Pistachios - 20 or so, sliced, ideally nicely sliced.. I made a bit mess with the slicing.. So ate a lot of the rejects. :D 

Procedure:
1) Roast besan and sooji in a non-stick pan on low heat. Add the melted butter little by little as necessary. All of the besan+rava should be somewhat moist. But there is no need to make it greasy. Keep stirring. The silicone type spatulas are perfect for this on my non-stick pan. Continue roasting till the besan becomes golden brown, an amazing earthy fragrance fills your kitchen and the neighbours start asking if it's Diwali time again?
2) Add sugar and powdered cardamom. Mix well.
3) When the mixture can be handled, but before it cools completely, bind the mixture into laddoos.
4) If the mixture becomes too dry as you make the laddoos and you can no longer bind them together, re-heat in the microwave for a tiny bit and see if that helps. If the mixture is still too dry, add more melted butter and heat a tiny bit more. These Besan ke Laddoo simply cannot flop.
5) For garnish place some melted butter in a flat plate. Now dip one part of each laddoo in that butter and then dip that portion into your pistachio flakes. They will stick to the butter on the laddoo. Doesn't that garnish look cute?

When this was done the whole house smelt of Besan ke Laddoo.. that's a warm and fuzzy smell! :) So clearly, despite the short days and long nights.. the cold and the snow.. 'tis the season to be jolly! Enjoy the Holiday Cooking you all..

Thanks to Manjula, for sharing her most reliable and repeatable recipes!

This post goes to Nupur of One Hot Stove for Blog Bites, where she is collecting Holiday favorites.

Happy Cooking everyone!! Cheerio!