How to Make Soan Papdi, Jalebi and Motichoor Laddoo Recipes at Home for Diwali

This soan papdi recipe sits alongside homemade jalebi and motichoor laddoo, three classic syrup-based Diwali sweets, with fermentation, frying, and syrup tips for crisp jalebi, flaky soan papdi, and soft laddoo.

Why These Syrup-Based Sweets Suit Diwali

Come Diwali and elaborate sweetmeats are made at home and distributed among family and friends. From Soan Papdi to Jalebi to Motichoor Laddoo, traditional Diwali sweet recipes are shared as “shagun” or gifts. Although Soan Papdi can be stored in the refrigerator, Jalebi is best eaten fresh; Whereas, Motichoor Laddoo has to be stored as per the recipe.

If you are a dessert enthusiast, these Diwali sweets recipes will help you create popular festival treats at home.

So, here’s how to make Soan Papdi, a jalebi recipe at home, and also a motichoor laddoo recipe.

Soan Papdi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan
• 1 cup maida
• 1 cup ghee
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 50 gm roasted and flaked pistachios
• Dried rose petals

Method:

1. To learn how to make soan papdi at home, first sift the besan and maida together to remove any lumps.
2. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the flour mix, roasting it on a low flame with continuous stirring till it turns light golden in color and gives out a nutty aroma. Remove from the flame and allow it to cool.
3. Prepare the sugar syrup in another pan by adding sugar and water to it and bring it to a boil while stirring constantly till it reaches a hard ball consistency and coats the back of the spatula.
4. Now, transfer the syrup to a greased surface or a heat-resistant tray and allow it to cool down while still on the warm side.
5. Once the syrup has cooled down, grease your palms and start folding and stretching the sugar strands in order to make it pale in color and form fine strands. The process can be very hot, and hence one can get severely burnt if not cautious enough.
6. Now, combine the sugar mix with the roasted flour mix and cardamom powder and keep folding and separating the mix till it reaches a flaky consistency with strands mixed in it.
7. Transfer it to a greased tray and press it down gently to form a rectangular block.
8. Now, decorate the mixture with roasted and flaked pistachios and finely dried rose petals while it is still warm, and let it cool down before cutting it into small squares or diamonds.
9. For the final touch, dilute 4-5 ml of edible rose water or kewra water in 60 ml of water and put it in a clean spray bottle. Lightly mist the Soan Papdi with the same just before serving, as misting with too much water will ruin the flaky texture of the dessert.

These are usually cut into 16-20 pieces and take 60-90 mins to prepare, including the setting time.

Another festive variety is the Bournville Soan Papdi truffle recipe that uses Bournville chocolate as its main ingredient.

Also Read: Try Bournville Soan Papdi Truffle

Jalebi Recipe at Home

Ingredients:

• 200 gm maida
• 85 gm gram flour
• 200 ml yogurt
• 60 ml ghee
• 220 gm sugar
• 2 teaspoons cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Food coloring
• Water as needed for the batter
• 200 ml water for the sugar syrup
• Oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. For this jalebi recipe at home, you have to mix gram flour, maida, yogurt, and ghee. Add water while mixing the batter till it reaches a consistency of a thick, flowing liquid, and let the mixture ferment for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. The next morning, heat the oil in a frying pan.
3. Transfer the fermented mixture into a piping bag, and pipe it in circular shapes into the hot oil. If using food colouring, add a little to the batter for the desired color
4. Fry the jalebis for 1-3 minutes, turning them over, until they are crisp and golden brown, depending on how thick they are and how hot the oil is, and soak them in sugar syrup for another 10 minutes. The recipe for the sugar syrup remains the same as for Motichoor Laddoo.
5. These delicious and sticky sweet treats can be eaten warm, or you can also cool them before serving them with hot tea.

For a chocolatey twist, try the Dairy Milk Jalebi recipe on Cadbury Desserts Corner .

Motichoor Laddoo Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan
• 1 cup maida
• 1 cup ghee
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 50 gm roasted and flaked pistachios
• Dried rose petals

For the boondi:

• 200 gm gram flour
• Water as needed to make a smooth, pourable batter
• Oil or ghee for deep-frying
• A pinch of baking soda, if required

For the sugar syrup:

• 200 gm sugar
• 200 ml water
• 100ml ghee
• 2 tsp cardamom

Method:

1. To prepare the motichoor laddoo, take some gram flour, mix it with water, and make a smooth and flowable batter.
2. You can also add a pinch of baking soda to make it airy.
3. Now, heat oil or ghee on a medium flame and drop the batter with a perforated ladle in the form of small boondi.
4. Fry them for a while, until they are cooked properly but not too crispy.
5. Drain them well and add them to the sugar syrup, which you have prepared by boiling sugar and water.
6. It should be of a good consistency and not too runny.
7. Stir in the cardamom powder and ghee.
8. Let the boondi soak up the syrup for a while.
9. Now, oil your palms and start making small laddoos.
10. Let the laddoos settle down for a while and serve them.
11. If the mixture is dry, you can add a bit more warm syrup, and if it's wet, wait before you start rolling.

The yield of this recipe is about 12-15 small laddoos.

Add Also Read: Try Diwali Traditional Sweets

Sugar Syrup Guide for Diwali Sweets

One-string consistency for Jalebi and Motichoor Laddoo: Boil sugar and water till a drop of syrup pressed between the thumb and forefinger forms a single thin thread when pulled apart gently. Cool the mixture a bit and test to ensure it does not touch hot syrup.

Firmer syrup for Soan Papdi: Boil the syrup to a point where a small drop added to a glass of cold water forms a firm, brittle, or hard ball depending on the recipe's desired stage.

Testing the syrup: Use a candy thermometer for greater accuracy or test a few drops in a glass of cold water according to the desired consistency. Check with the recipe instructions, as the cooking time and temperature may vary depending on the amount of sugar and water.

Storing and Gifting Diwali Sweets

To make the most of how to make jalebi at home, you can add a few drops of yellow or orange food colouring to the batter for a vibrant finish. For storage, wrap Soan Papdi in butter paper and store it in an airtight container. Store Motichoor Laddoo in an airtight box and enjoy the Jalebi on the day it is made for the best crispness. Confirm storage times with the recipe team.