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Mag na ladva
Moong dal laddus
મગના લાડુ: laddus of roasted, ground moong dal cooked in ghee with cardamom and nuts
Mag na ladva are a Central Gujarat favourite for Diwali and for lunchbox treats, rich with ghee yet light in texture because the moong dal is dry-roasted and ground before it ever meets fat. Cooked slowly in ghee, the ground dal turns sandy and smells of toasted nuts, then powdered sugar, cardamom and chopped nuts bind it into soft, crumbly laddus. The mistake many make is grinding the dal too fine and roasting it too fast, which gives a pasty laddu with a raw, beany aftertaste. Chef's tip: grind the dal to the texture of fine semolina, not flour, for the classic melt-in-the-mouth crumb.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For the ladva
- 5 ½ oz gheemelted
- 6 ½ oz powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 oz almondschopped
- 1 oz cashewschopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 9 oz split yellow moong dal in a heavy pan over medium-low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until it turns light golden and smells nutty. Cool completely.
12 minStep 2: Grind the cooled dal to a semolina-like powder in a dry grinder.
3 minStep 3: Heat 5 ½ oz ghee in the same pan over low heat, add the ground dal and roast, stirring constantly, for 15–18 minutes until golden, fragrant and loose, with ghee shining around the edges.
18 minStep 5: Mix in 6 ½ oz powdered sugar and 1 tsp ground cardamom. Press handfuls firmly into 14 laddus. If they crumble, add 1 tbsp warm ghee. Store airtight for 2 weeks.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mag na ladva take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of powdered sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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