How to make Besan Ladoo

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Diwali is just around the corner which means preparations are in full gear. I am sure you all are busy mixing up batches of goodies to snack on, give as gifts. Wish you all a very happy and blessed Diwali!

Besan Ladoo needs no introduction. Besan Ladoo/Laddoo or Besan Laddu is one of the extremely popular sweets in India. It is prepared by roasting besan (chickpea flour) with ghee, flavored with sugar & cardamom, and rolled into spherical little balls, called Ladoo, or Laddu.

The Besan Ladoo is not only delicious and aromatic but also has a melt in the mouth texture. The texture of Besan Ladoo is somewhere between creamy and chewy, which are two great qualities to have in one dessert.

This is one dessert that even the person in the diet cannot say “No” to this sweet. Besan Ladoo has a very mild sweetness and is healthy. They are high in folate or folic acid, which is important for iron production and rapid growth of red and white blood cells in the body, besan laddoo has various health benefits.

Indian festivals are incomplete without sweets, especially without ladoos. We make ladoos out of so many ingredients, there’s Motichoor ladoo, Atta ladoo, Coconut ladoo, Rava ladoo, Dry fruit ladoo, Rice Flour ladoo this list is endless.

Apart from Kalakand, Coconut Burfi, Jalebi, Rice Kheer, Rasmalai, Sahi Tukra, and Gulab Jamun this besan ladoo are also quite popular and are made for Diwali festival.

What is Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo is a delicious, gluten-free Indian sweet. It is prepared with only 4 main ingredients – besan (gram flour), ghee (clarified butter), sugar, and cardamom powder. Whether it is festive celebrations, religious rituals, or marriage, besan ke laddu is always part of the dessert platter.

Gram Flour (the ground chickpea flour) is the key ingredient to make this ladoo. The roasted chickpea flour is called ‘Besan’ in Hindi. Hence, the name of the sweet is besan ke ladoo.

Besan is roasted on low flame along with ghee until it turns nutty, aromatic and sugar is added along with cardamom powder and then it’s shaped into round balls. Yes, it’s that simple and easy.

However, making these perfect melt in the mouth texture Besan ladoo needs some patience and tips.

Tips to make Besan Ladoo

Besan ke ladoo or Besan Ladoo never fails to impress anyone! Here is a simple recipe to prepare these balls of goodness at home with a few tips and tricks.

Ratio: For the fail-proof recipe follow the ratio or 4:2:1 or 2:1:1/2 of Besan: Sugar: Ghee.
Use Coarse Besan: I used coarse besan or ladoo besan for making this recipe. But, if you only have regular fine besan handy, simply replace 1 tablespoon from the 1 cup required for this recipe, with 1 tbsp semolina (sooji). This will add a nice crunch to the texture.
Roasting Besan: The most crucial thing to keep in mind while making besan ladoo is to make sure the besan is roasted well. You will be able to tell from the aroma and also the color of the besan will change to a golden-ish hue that’s when you will get to know that Besan is roasted well for making ladoo. Also, the besan turns into a smooth paste once it’s cooked well.
Low Flame: Use the low flame to roast the besan or gram flour to ensure the flour gets uniformly roasted and not browned or burned.
Quality: Use good quality ghee and besan for making ladoo. I like using homemade ghee for this recipe with its nutty taste and aroma.
Resting Time: Allow the roasted besan cool down before adding the sugar. Otherwise, the sugar will melt and you will not be able to bind them. Once the besan has roasted let it cool down for at least 15 minutes before adding the sugar.
My trick is to dry roast the besan or gram flour first and then add the ghee after some time, as opposed to adding the ghee right away.
Use a thick bottom pan or a heavy nonstick pan for roasting the gram flour.
Make sure to sift the gram flour and powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
You can grease your palms with ghee before shaping the balls so that the mixture does not stick to your hand.

Besan Ladoo, if stored well has a long shelf life so you can relish them for many days. You can make these ladoos on special occasions as well as whenever you wish to have a light Indian sweet since it doesn’t take much time to prepare.

Today, I’m sharing with you our family recipe to make perfectly soft and delicious besan ladoos that are finger-licking good and super easy to make. I promise they will fly off your pantry shelf as soon as you have made them and your kids will love you for packing this treat into their lunch boxes. So go on, give them a try!

Do try other dessert recipes:

Preparation Time: 5 mins ∏ Cooking Time: 35 mins ∏ Servings: 14-15 ladoos

Level: Intermediate(Medium) ∏ Measurement: 1 Cup ≡ 250 ml ≡ 250gm

Ingredients Checklist:

2 cups Ladoo Besan (or coarse besan)

1 cup powdered sugar (boora shakkar/confectioners sugar)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

2-3 tablespoon chopped nuts (melon seeds, cashew, pista, etc)

Step1: If you are using melon seeds in this recipe then lightly roast them in a pan for 2-3 minutes on low flame to make it a little crunchy.

Step2: Before you start, sift the besan and then measure it. It should come to 2 cups. Dry roast the shifted besan in a heavy Kadai or pan on low to medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes. Keep on stirring continuously right from the beginning.

Step3: After roasting for about 4 minutes add 1/2 cup ghee and mix it well.

Step4: Continue roasting the besan for some more 12-15 minutes stirring non-stop. Heat should be low at all times.

Step5: Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder to the paste. Adding turmeric is optional, you may also add yellow food color. However, this will give a vibrant yellow color to the ladoos.

Step6: After around 15 minutes you well notice besan will continue to loosen up. It will turn into a smooth paste-like consistency. You will be able to tell from the aroma and also the color of the besan will change to a golden-ish hue that’s when you will get to know that Besan is roasted well for making ladoo.

Step7: This step is optional, but it will give nice texture to the ladoos. For grainy texture add 1 tablespoon of water into the mixture. Adding water will create bubbles into the mixture and besan/chickpea grains will absorb some water and become more coarse.

Step8: Keep stirring and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the besan is cooked well and you get the nice aroma. Then turn off the flame. Remove pan from heat. If you want, transfer the besan to another container so that it doesn’t cook further and doesn’t burn. I didn’t transfer it. So after removing pan from heat, I kept stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until it cooled down a little.

Step9: Allow it to cool for about 15 minutes or until it is luke warm to touch. Then add 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder.

Step10: Once the besan is cooled down and be easy to touch. Add 1 cup powdered sugar or Boora Shakkar/Confectioners Sugar. Do not add sugar if the mixture is hot, as it will melt the sugar and makes mixture watery. Mix everything together until the sugar is well combined.

Step11: If using chopped nuts or melon seeds add at this time and mix it very well with the mixture.

Step12: Keep mixing it until the besan is mixed very well with the sugar. 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.

Step13: Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of mix at a time and start pressing and shaping to form balls. Press and roll between your palm to form a round shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Step14: Repeat with the remaining mixture. Store in an airtight container. The laddus will stay good at room temperature for 8 to 10 days. Depending upon the size of the ladoo you are making you will get around 14-15 ladoos with the above mentioned measurements.

Step15: Once the ladoo is formed, top it with the reserved chopped nuts and plate it. You may also garnish with edible silver leaves. Enjoy!

Tips:

If using fine besan, then add few tablespoons of sooji to get the crunch in the ladoo.
Keep roasting besan in heavy bottom pan and in low flame.
After roasting besan for 4-5 minutes then add ghee and roast it further for 15 minutes or until it gets aromatic.
Once the besan is cooled down then only add powdered sugar.
If your ladoos don’t look perfectly round after you shape them, wait for 5 to 10 minutes and then roll between your hands to shape them again.
You can easily double or triple this recipe and store the extra laddu in an airtight steel container for a quick and easy snack or dessert all week.