Homemade Motichoor Ladoo

wellhealthorganic.com Laddu: Motichur laddu is a delectable Indian sweet known for its soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture, crafted mainly from gram flour, sugar, and aromatic spices. Here's how to prepare this beloved treat:

Laddu

• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Cuisine: Indian
• Course: Dessert
• Diet: Vegetarian
• Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

For Sugar Syrup:

1. 1 cup sugar
2. ½ cup water
3. A generous pinch of saffron powder

For Making Boondi:

1. 1 cup besan (gram flour)
2. A generous pinch of saffron powder 
3. ¾ cup water
4. 2 to 3 black cardamoms – seeds removed and the skins discarded
5. ½ tablespoon magaz (melon seeds)
6. Oil for deep frying
7. A bit of oil or ghee for applying on the palms while shaping the ladoo

Also read: Chilli Potato

Instructions:

Preparing Sugar Syrup:

1. Dissolve sugar, saffron threads, and water in a pan, and place it on the stove top.
2. Cook the sugar solution until it reaches one-thread consistency. Once achieved, turn off the flame and set the sugar solution aside.

Making Boondi:

1. Prepare a smooth flowing batter using gram flour (besan), crushed saffron, and water. Ensure the batter is neither too thick nor too thin.
2. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. The oil should be moderately hot.
3. Take a perforated ladle/spoon and position it above the oil. Have another large ladle/jhara ready for removing the fried boondis.
4. Spoon a portion of the besan batter onto the perforated ladle/spoon. Press gently with another spoon to allow the batter to fall into the hot oil through the perforations.
5. Fry the boondi until they turn golden. Avoid over-frying or making them too crisp. Remove them from the oil when the sizzling stops, typically within 45 seconds to 1 minute.
6. It's crucial not to let the boondi become too crisp, as they need to retain softness to absorb the sugar syrup effectively.

Making Motichoor Ladoo:

1. Drain the fried boondi well and immediately add them to the hot sugar syrup.
2. Ensure the sugar syrup remains hot. If it crystallizes, reheat it while adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Continue adding all the boondis to the sugar syrup, stirring well. The boondis should soften in the syrup.
4. Transfer the boondis and sugar syrup mixture to a blender or mixer. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water and pulse a few times to reduce the size of the boondis. Be careful not to over-pulse, as the mixture should retain some texture.
5. Add the magaz/melon seeds and black cardamom seeds to the mixture and mix well.
6. Apply some oil or ghee on your palms and shape the mixture into ladoos while it's still warm. Once cooled, they will firm up.
7. Optionally, garnish the motichoor ladoos with melon seeds/magaz or raisins.

Also read: Mathri

Notes:

• Use fresh, fine gram flour for best results.
• Keep the sugar syrup hot throughout the process.
• Avoid over-frying the boondis to maintain their softness.
• Be cautious while blending to prevent the mixture from becoming too pasty.
• Fry the boondis in moderately hot oil to achieve the desired texture.
• For a vegan version, use neutral-flavored oil for shaping the ladoos.
• This recipe can be adjusted to make a smaller or larger batch of motichoor ladoos.