Besan Ladoo Maharashtra

Method

1. 1

   Heat the ghee: Place a wide heavy pan on low heat. Add 1/2 cup ghee. Let it melt and become liquid. Do not let it smoke.

2. 2

   Roast the gram flour in ghee: Add 2 cups gram flour to the melted ghee. Mix immediately so all the flour is coated with ghee. Now roast on low heat, stirring continuously. This is the most critical step — the flour must be roasted thoroughly or the ladoo will taste raw and floury.

3. 3

   Keep stirring without stopping: Stir the gram flour mixture constantly on low heat. It will go through stages: first it will look wet and yellow, then it will gradually dry and become grainy, then it will darken in colour and smell intensely roasted and nutty. This process takes 15 to 20 minutes of continuous stirring. Do not try to rush it on high heat — high heat burns the outside while leaving the inside raw.

4. 4

   Check if properly roasted: After 15 minutes, take a small amount of the flour and roll it between your fingers when cool — it should feel like dry sand and not stick together. Take a tiny taste — it should taste very good, nutty and roasted, not raw or floury. The colour should be a deep golden-tan.

5. 5

   Add nuts and raisins: Add the roughly chopped cashews and raisins to the roasted flour. Stir them in. Cook 1 more minute. Remove the pan from heat completely.

6. 6

   Cool slightly: Let the roasted flour mixture cool for exactly 5 minutes — it should be warm but not hot enough to burn your hands. It must be warm when you add the sugar, not cold, otherwise the ladoo will not bind.

7. 7

   Add sugar and flavourings: Add the powdered sugar, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix everything together thoroughly — the warm ghee and flour help the sugar integrate smoothly.

8. 8

   Shape the ladoo while warm: Take a portion of the mixture — about 2 heaped tablespoons. Place it in your palm. Press firmly with both palms and roll into a smooth ball. The warmth of your hands will help it bind. If the mixture is too dry to bind, add 1 tsp more warm melted ghee. If too sticky, the ghee was too much — let it cool 5 more minutes.

9. 9

   Work quickly: Shape all the ladoos while the mixture is still warm — once it cools completely it becomes crumbly and harder to bind. If it cools too much, reheat gently for 30 seconds in the pan.

10. 10

    Cool and store: Place the shaped ladoos on a plate. Let them cool completely to room temperature — they firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

11. 11

    Note: Besan Ladoo is made across Maharashtra and North India for Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and as prasad in temples and religious ceremonies. The quality of the ladoo depends entirely on how well the gram flour is roasted — under-roasted ladoos taste raw and are unhealthy to eat. Every family has a memory of a grandmother or mother making these, the house filling with the aroma of roasting gram flour in ghee.