Boondi Laddu / Sweet balls of bengal gram flour

On this Holi, somehow I totally forgot to plan for the festival and had almost nothing at home to make something special. After making a rigorous search into my inventory, all I could see were basic stuffs like Besan, Ghee & sugar.

So thought of making something which I never tried (challenging myself is the only way to push me in kitchen happily :D) and that's how the idea of making Boondi Laddu came to my mind.

On Holi usually people will make Gujiyas but boondi laddus are something which can be associated by any festival or religious prayers especially laddus at Thirupathi Balaji's. Infact they also reminds me of the Republic day and Independence day celebrations at school when we used to get four of them in a small box after singing the national anthem. 

Though it can be made by following very simple recipe of Besan, sugar and ghee but adding few more things to it can make it tastier like Tirupathi's prasadam laddu.

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cup of Besan/  bengal gram dal flour

1/2 tsp of Baking powder  

1/2 cup of milk

2 & 1/2 cup of Sugar   

5     Elachi/ cardamom  

3     cloves

few strands of Saffron

A small pinch  of  Edible camphor (optional)  

A small pinch   of Yellow food colour (optional)  

a few  of  Sugar candy (mishri)    

a handful  of sliced Pistachio     

Ghee(clarified butter) for frying

Method:

Seive besan and add yellow color+ baking powder and whip in milk to make a uniform & fluffy paste.

The batter's consistency should not be too watery or too thick, it should be enough watery to pass through the holes and enough thick to drop like a drop in oil while frying. Keep aside for few minutes to be ready.

Meanwhile start making sugar syrup. Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add sugar and water to it.

We need to cook it until we get two thread consistency which can be checked by taking a drop of it in between thumb and tip of index finger. Mix cardamom , saffron, cloves and camphor- all powdered, and switch off the heat once done.

Heat ghee in a deep wide pan and use a big slotted spoon to make boond. You need two deep frying ladles one for making boondi and one for draining from ghee and one more to spoon the batter. 

Now pour the besan batter on this slotted ladle using spoon, holding it high above the hot oil. Make sure if its too close, then boondi will not be round and will have tails.

Keep turning them continuously for even cooking and then drain them to a wide plate.

Now add  pitachios, sugar candies to boondi and start rolling them gently in the sugar syrup.Make sure all boondi should be covered by sugar syrup. Lets wait for around 20 mins with lid ON to become warm enough to start making laddus.

You can use plastic cover on your hand if you want to make these laddus. Take a small portion of this mixture and press it in one hand squeezing out the extra syrup and ghee and then with second hand try to shape it in a round ball. Store them in any airtight container once they are cooled down.

Notes:

-The ghee for deep frying should be on medium heat throughout.

-Start shaping laddus as soon as they are warm enough to handle.

Hope you like this recipe and wish you a very colorful and Happy Holi !!!