← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 220 g gram flour (besan), preferably coarse
• 120 g Ghee
• 140 g powdered or icing sugar
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp pistachios or almonds, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Melt the ghee in a heavy pan over low heat and add the gram flour. Stir constantly; it will be crumbly at first, then loosen into a paste.
2. Keep roasting on low, stirring and scraping the bottom, for 20–25 min, until the mixture is a deep golden colour, runny and smells strongly nutty. Don’t rush with higher heat or it will scorch.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cardamom. Tip into a bowl and let it cool for 15 min, until warm but comfortable to touch.
4. Add the sugar and nuts and mix well with your hands. Take a small handful and press and roll it into a smooth ball. If it won’t hold together, add a teaspoon of warm ghee.
5. Let the ladoos firm up for 30 min. They keep for 2 weeks in an airtight tin.

Tips

• If the mixture is too hot when you add the sugar, it melts and the ladoos turn sticky and flat.
• Check your icing sugar is gluten-free if that matters; a few brands add wheat starch.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen Cook With Manali