Motichoor ladoo
Boondi sweet balls
मोतीचूर के लड्डू: pinhead saffron boondi soaked in syrup and pressed into soft, melting laddus
Halwais in Jaipur, Indore and old Delhi sell mountains of these during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and every wedding season, and Ganesha himself is usually shown holding one. The difference from ordinary boondi laddu is size: the gram-flour batter is dropped through the finest jhara, so each pearl is no bigger than a mustard seed and the finished laddu is soft, moist and almost melts on the tongue. A light syrup of one-string consistency, saffron, cardamom and a little melon seed is all it needs. Serve them as prasad, in a festive mithai box, or after a thali. The classic mistake is a batter that is too thick: the drops come out with tails and stay chewy instead of round. Being made only from gram flour, sugar and ghee, these are gluten-free as long as no hing or wheat goes near the batter. Chef's tip: shape the laddus while the boondi is still warm and syrupy; once it cools, the pearls will not stick together and the laddus crumble.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the syrup
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pinch saffron strandssoaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- ¾ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp lemon juice
For the boondi
- 7 oz fine gram flour (besan)sifted
- 1 cup waterroughly; add slowly
- 1 pinch orange food colour or a pinch of turmeric (optional)
- 2 cups ghee for frying
To finish
- 1 tbsp melon seeds (magaz) (optional)
- 1 tbsp pistachios (optional)slivered
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Put 10 ½ oz sugar and ¾ cup water in a pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add ½ tsp lemon juice, which lifts any scum to the surface; skim it off.
4 minStep 2: Boil for 6–7 minutes until the syrup reaches one-string consistency: a drop pressed between thumb and finger draws out a single thread. Turn off the heat and stir in the soaked 1 pinch saffron strands and ¾ tsp ground green cardamom. Keep it warm.
7 minStep 3: Whisk 7 oz fine gram flour (besan) with 1 cup water, adding it a little at a time, to a smooth, flowing batter about as thick as pouring cream. Add 1 pinch orange food colour or a pinch of turmeric if using. It should fall from the spoon in a steady ribbon that disappears back into the bowl.
5 minStep 4: Heat 2 cups ghee for frying in a wide kadhai over a medium heat. Hold the finest boondi jhara (or a slotted spoon with very small holes) about 15 cm above the ghee.
5 minStep 5: Pour a ladle of batter onto the jhara and tap the handle gently so tiny drops fall in. Fry for about 1 minute, just until they stop sizzling loudly; they should stay soft and pale, not crisp. Common mistake: frying until crunchy, which gives hard laddus.
25 minStep 6: Lift each batch out with a clean slotted spoon, drain for a few seconds and drop straight into the warm syrup. Wipe the jhara clean between batches so the holes do not clog.
3 minStep 7: When all the boondi is in, stir in 1 tbsp melon seeds (magaz), cover and leave for 15 minutes so every pearl drinks up the syrup.
15 minStep 8: Mash lightly with your hands or pulse a few seconds in a food processor so some pearls break; this helps the laddus bind.
2 minStep 9: Wet or grease your palms and press handfuls of the warm mixture into 16 firm balls, about 45 g each. Press 1 tbsp pistachios on top.
15 minStep 10: Leave to set for an hour. They keep 5–6 days in an airtight box at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does motichoor ladoo take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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Perfect for:DiwaliGanesh ChaturthiRaksha Bandhan