Besan Ke Ladoo Recipe For Raksha Bandhan: Traditional Sweet Made Easy At Home

Besan ladoo symbolizes warmth and comfort of relationships. Made with besan flour, spices and sweeteners, besan ladoo is a go to sweet for many festivals and celebrations in India and it is viewed as one of the most auspicious treats in Indian cuisine. The ingredients used in besan ladoo are simple but hold a lot of value in both traditional cooking and cultural significance. Besan has natural warming properties that soothes the body and brings a relaxing relief. When combined with a sweetener, the joy of besan enhances even more. This is why besan ladoo is considered an ideal sweet for Raksha Bandhan.

Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the loving bond between brothers and sisters. Every year, this festival is celebrated to honor the relationship, protection, and lifelong promise of care and love between siblings. Besan ladoo is a true reflection of this warm bond. It becomes even more special when you make it at home from scratch. Follow this easy recipe to make besan ladoos at home and delight your family with a sweet and comfy treat.

Besan Ke Ladoo Recipe In An Easy Way:

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups besan (gram flour)
• ½ cup ghee (clarified butter)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp chopped dry fruits (optional – cashews, almonds, pistachios)
• A pinch of salt (optional, enhances sweetness)

Method:

Step 1: Roast the Besan:

Heat up a thick-bottomed pan or a kadhai on low flame. Add some ghee and let it melt completely. Then, add besan flour and roast evenly by stirring. Roast it for about 12 to 15 minutes until it starts to appear golden, pinkish, aromatic, and starts releasing ghee. Cooking besan on low heat is crucial to get a warming flavor. Undercooked besan will taste raw and overcooked besan will taste bitter.

Step 2: Add Cardamom and Dry Fruits:

Switch the heat off and stir in cardamom powder, dry fruits, and a pinch of salt for flavor enhancement. Combine the mixture well and let it cool down for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 3: Add Sugar and Mix:

After adding dry fruits and spices, add powdered sugar. The reason why sugar should be added last is because then it gets more time to blend with other ingredients and make everything equally sweet. Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined. The mixture will become slightly crumbly but should hold shape when pressed. Before you add sugar, make sure the besan is warm and not hot, or hot besan will melt the sugar and create uneven crystals which may end up ruining the flavor.

Step 4: Shape the Ladoos:

Once the mixture starts to come together, it is time to shape it into balls. Grease your palms with some ghee and take small portions of the mixture in your hand. Roll the mixture around to make spherical ladoos, press it a bit from each side to close firmly, making sure it doesn't fall apart. IF the mixture turns dry, you can moisten it up by adding a little more ghee or a tablespoon of milk to assist with binding. Garnish with some chopped nuts and add edible silver foil for a royal look.

Step 5: Serve

Let the ladoos stay at room temperature to cool down. Cooling helios in firming up the ladoos by drying the sugar which reinforces the besan together. Store the ladoos in an airtight container and savor it for up to 10 to 12 days. You can also pack them up in adorable gift boxes and give your handmade treat as a present.

Tips for Beginners to make perfect besan ladoo recipe:

• Always roast besan on low flame to prevent burning. When you do it slowly on low flame, the besan gets enough time to roast from within instead of turning brown instantly. You may think high flame will make the work fast, but when making besan ladoo, patience is the key.
• Avoid adding sugar when the mixture is still hot. Sugar can melt easily in hot temperatures. When you add it to the piping hot besan, it will melt and moisten the besan mixture then dry out quickly and create hard clusters which may be unpleasant to bite. Therefore, let the mixture cool down a bit before adding sugar.
• If you are binding the ladoos and feel it is a little too dry, you can moisten it with a spoon of warm ghee. The fats in ghee locks in the moisture and helps with binding. Milk will also work but it will make ladoos creamy.
• Always use fine besan flour to make smooth ladoos. If you like your ladoos a little grainy, then only you should use coarse besan. For a wholesome bite, you can combine both fine and coarse besan.