Boondi Laddu

Boondi Ladoo Recipe
Ingredients (Makes 8 – 10 laddu)

1. Besan / kadala madu – 1 cup
   Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp (you can use a pinch of food color instead)
   Baking soda – 1 pinch
   Salt – 1 pinch
   2. Water – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp or as required to make a medium thick batter
   3. Sugar – 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp or to taste
   Water – 1/3 cup
   Lemon juice – 3/4 tsp (optional, add if you don’t prefer hard laddus)
   Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
   3. Ghee – 1 tbsp
   Cashews, chopped – 1.5 tbsp
   Raisins – 1.5 tbsp
   4. Kalkandam / sugar candy , slightly crushed – 1 tbsp
   Edible camphor – 1 pinch (optional)
   5. Oil – To deep fry

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients numbered 1. Add water little by little to form a medium thick batter without lumps.
2. Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat. Pour a little batter on the boondi ladle and gently tap it. Tiny droplets of batter will fall into the hot oil. Fry them for about 45 seconds – 1 minute. Do not fry till crisp. Drain on to a paper towel. Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.

3. Meanwhile in a saucepan, add sugar and water and mix well. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 – 2 minutes until slightly thick or until a syrupy consistency (we do not need a one string consistency).  Add lemon juice 9added to prevent the sugar from crystallizing) and cardamom powder.
   
4. Crush the fried boondis (all of the fried boondi or 75 %) in the small jar of a blender in 2 – 3 batches (pulse a few times).
5. Add the crushed boondi to the sugar syrup. Add fried cashews, raisins, remaining ghee from frying (2-3 tsp), crushed kalkandam / sugar candy and edible camphor, if using. Set aside for 5 – 10 minutes or until it turns warm. Grease your palm with little ghee and shape the laddus while still warm (if you are unable to roll, just grind them well). Boondi Ladoos are easy to make and tastes super yum..do give it a try!