Dessert with chickpea flour

Celebrations are not complete without sweets, and festivals in India are not complete without ladoos. Ladoo is a spherical Indian dessert that can be created with a variety of ingredients.

We make ladoos from a variety of ingredients, such as motichoor ladoo, atta ladoo, coconut ladoo, rava ladoo, this ladoo, that ladoo, and the list goes on. Indians literally make ladoos with anything and everything.

Out of all the ladoos, besan ladoo is my personal favorite. Though besan ladoo is available in the market, I love the besan ladoo made by my mother at home.

What is Besan Ladoo?

Besan Ladoo, also known as Besan ke Laddu, is a famous Indian sweet made with gram flour, powdered sugar, and clarified butter (ghee). These spherical sweet balls, also known as Besan ke Laddu, are produced by toasting gram flour and ghee together, then adding sugar to make a thick pasty dough, which is then molded into delightful, melt-in-your-mouth balls. Make this delectable dessert using my foolproof recipe.

But here are certain things you must keep in mind while making besan ladoo.

Firstly, patience is important while making besan ladoos. The besan needs to be roasted on low flame throughout. For the nutty flavor to be released. Thus, be careful not to over-roast it, or else it will give a bitter taste.

Secondly, keep stirring continuously while roasting the besan; otherwise, it might stick to the pan and burn.

Ingredients At A Glance

Besan – Besan is gram flour, which is simply flour prepared from split and husked black chickpeas, also known as chana dal. Gram flour is not the same as chickpea flour, which is prepared from dried white chickpeas. However, both have distinct textures and flavors.

I dry roast the besan on a low flame before using it. This helps to reduce the raw flavor while also increasing the scent of the besan. However, you must be careful not to discolor or burn it.

Powdered sugar – Besan laddu tastes best with powdered unrefined cane sugar, which you might get in an Indian grocery store. In case you don’t, you can powder the sugar in a mixer.

The same dish can also be made with jaggery instead of sugar. The jaggery alternative may be healthier, but it may not give the same texture and sweetness as that sugar.

Ghee – Ghee is the hero ingredient. Ghee gives an authentic aroma and moist texture to the ladoo. There is no alternative here.

Spices – I have added cardamom powder and nutmeg powder for a sweet-spicy flavor.

Dry fruits & nuts – You can use any dry fruits or nuts as per your choice. I have used almonds, cashew nuts, and raisins. Some even garnish it with saffron.

How To Prepare Besan Ladoo?

First, roast the nuts and raisins in ghee. Next, take a kadai, heat one teaspoon of ghee, and add all the dry fruits; roast them for 2 to 3 minutes till they become slightly golden brown in color. Keep them aside. Once they cool down, chop them into small pieces.

Roasting the dry fruits also increases the shelf life of the ladoos.

Now heat another kadai again and add the ghee. Allow the ghee to melt, and then add the besan and mix them well. Roast the besan on low flame so as not to burn the besan. You may see lumps in besan, but that’s fine as it will gradually break down as you stir them. Keep stirring continuously to avoid burning.

As you continue to roast the besan, it will first become a lump and then a smooth mass. Finally, when the besan has formed a mass with a glossy texture, it will emit a pleasant nutty aroma. This stage took me about 30 to 35 minutes to complete.

Sprinkle some water into the besan with your hands to achieve the granular texture of besan ladoos.

At this point, turn off the gas and transfer the mixture to a platter. Set aside and allow it cool completely.

Once it is slightly cold, add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, dry fruits, and powdered sugar. Mix it all very well with your hands and form a dough. Now take small portions of the dough and make small ladoos.

Garnish them with raisins/almonds or pistachios. I have also added vark; you can skip it.

Some Expert Tips For Preparing Besan Ladoo

• If you want your ladoo to be crunchier, add a couple of teaspoons of sooji (rava/semolina).
• If your ladoos aren’t exactly round after shaping, wait for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling between your palms to form them again. But don’t wait too long; otherwise, the ladoo will harden, and you won’t be able to adjust the shape.
• If you like your ladoos sweeter, add 3/4 cup powdered sugar.
• Roasting time may vary based on heat intensity and pan thickness: please remember that roasting time for besan may vary. It took me around 25 minutes to roast the besan on low heat; it could take you 15 or 50 minutes. If you are unsure, rely on the aroma of the besan rather than the time; smell that nutty aroma, and you will know it’s done.

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