One of my favorite types of laddoo is a Besan Laddoo. Besan is flour made from chickpeas (bonus! these laddoos are gluten-free!) which is easily found in any Indian store or most grocery stores. I have very vivid memories of being a little girl and eating besan laddoos made fresh by my mother and grandmother in the dining room of our house; I have always loved the nutty taste and smooth texture of a besan laddoo. In lieu of traditional Indian spices, however, I decided to update the besan laddoo with a beloved American flavor combination--cinnamon and brown sugar!
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. While the besan is still warm, add the powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl.
I am a "rookie," so my laddoos were not perfectly round, but man they tasted pretty good! Even my husband liked them and he is not the biggest fan of Indian sweets. So here's to hoping you have a tummy full of laddoos, a prosperous year head, and a Happy Diwali!
Ingredients (for 4-5 laddoos):
| Ingredients (for 8-10 laddoos)
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Recipe:
- Roast the besan in the pan over medium-low heat. Do not keep the heat above medium or you may burn the besan. Use your spatula to move the besan around every so often to ensure it doesn't burn.
- It will take between 10 to 15 minutes to roast the besan. You will see it change from a chalky yellow to a lightly golden brown color, and you will smell the nutty fragrance it releases. Once it begins browning, move it around consistently with a spatula for another 3 to 4 minutes until it is almost entirely and uniformly brown. Decrease the heat to low.
- Melt the butter (2 tablespoons if making 4 to 5 laddoos; 4 tablespoons if making 8 to 10 laddoos) in the microwave. Add the melted butter to the roasted besan.
- Using your spatula, quickly combine the butter and besan so that all the butter is absorbed by the besan. Continue using your spatula to combine the two; use the spatula to "spread" the mixture around the bottom of the pan. In doing so, the mixture may stick to your spatula--just use a butter knife to get it off and back into the pan.
- Once combined, put the mixture in a mixing bowl. While still warm, add the powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Ensure the besan/butter mixture is not too hot to handle and combine all the ingredients in the mixing bowl using your hands.
- The mixture should be holding shape and clumping together. If it is not, melt another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter (depending on if you are making 4/5 or 8/10 laddoos, respectively) in the microwave, add it to the mixing bowl, and combine it with your hands.
- Form small balls using your hands--they should be the size of a golf ball or slightly smaller.
- After forming each ball, set it on a plate to cool for 30 minutes. If you have wax paper, line the plate with wax paper to keep the laddoo from sticking to the plate when cooled.
- Before the laddoos cool entirely, you can "decorate" them by adding a small piece of a nut, like a pecan, to the top of each laddoo.
- After 30 to 45 minutes, serve the ladoos or store them in an air-tight container.