Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
Traditional Besan Laddu (ladoo) recipe
Besan ladoo are creamy, golden-hued, melt-in-your-mouth dessert balls made with besan/gram flour, ghee and sugar laced with aromatic cardamom, nutmeg and saffron.
Servings: 8 ladoo
Calories: 117kcal
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine besan / gram flour sift before measuring
- ¼ cup ghee
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon pistachios thinly sliced, optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
Instructions
- Add ghee and besan to a medium sized heavy bottomed pan. Keeping the heat low, slow roast the besan flour, while stirring constantly with a spatula. Continue to stir evenly and break the lumps that will form initially.
- After about 10 minutes, the flour will start to loosen up and become light and fluffy. Continue roasting for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the flour turns light golden brown. At this stage the ghee will start to separate, filling the kitchen with a delightful aroma.
- Turn the heat off and take out the mixture into a bowl. This will avoid the besan from being overcooked. Allow it to cool for about 15 minutes or until it is luke warm to touch.
- Add powdered sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and pistachios. Massage the mixture with the palm of your hands, and as you do so the ghee starts to release, allowing the mixture to bind together.
- Grease the palm of your hands with a little bit of ghee so that the mixture does not stick to your hand. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of mix at a time and start pressing and shaping to form round balls. Repeat with the remaining mix. Makes 8 ladoo.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. The laddus will stay good at room temperature for 8 to 10 days. For longer shelf-life keep them in the refrigerator and remember to heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds before enjoying them.
Notes
Pro tips for perfect besan laddu:
- Use fresh, good-quality besan/gram flour. I usually buy the fine besan from Indian grocery stores. Sift the flour and then measure it for the perfect proportion of besan, ghee, and sugar.
- Use low to medium heat to fry the besan or gram flour to ensure the flour gets uniformly roasted.
- The key to perfect besan laddu is slow-roasting the besan with ghee over low heat, stirring constantly. Roast until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, turns a rich golden brown, and releases a nutty aroma. For reference, 1 cup of besan takes about 25 minutes, 2 cups take around 35 minutes, and 3 cups take about 45 minutes. Larger batches will naturally need more roasting time.
- If the mixture is too soft and sticky, add some more dry-roasted besan to the mixture and then shape the laddoo.
Nutrition
Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry
