Bhoondi Laddu

This is one of the most favorite diwali sweet of my husband. He asked me if we can make this year. But I was not sure as I didn't had the laddle for making the boondi. Then I came across a website where it was mentioned that this can be done with the traditional "jalli karandi" (a ladle with holes).

So I just gave a try and it was not a bad work for the first timers. But the real tough part in making laddus is the making of final balls which is very time consuming. Thanks to my husband who helped in pressing the bhoondis in the sugar syrup.

This recipe makes around 10 medium sized laddus.


Ingredients:

Besan flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 1 crushed
broken cashews - 1 tbsp
water - 1/2 cup


Procedure:

Sugar Syrup:

1. Add the water and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. When the syrup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency.
3. Fry the cloves, raisins and cashews in oil/ghee. Add them to the syrup.


Bhoondi:

1. Mix the besan flour with water to make a smooth batter without any lumps. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3. Hold the ladle just 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the oil in one hand and with the other hand pour some of the batter onto the ladle such that the batter covers all of the holes.
4. The batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. Drop enough boondi into the oil so that they just cover the surface of the oil in a single layer
5. Fry them until the sizzling sound stops and the boondis are slightly gold in colour but not crispy. (When you try to break a boondi between your fingers, it should not crack; it should just squeeze in and comeout) Pick up the boondis with another slotted spoon and put them directly in the warm sugar syrup.
6. Repeat the process of making boondi and adding to the syrup with rest of the batter. Make sure you wipe clean the ladle/grater after pouring 1 bath of batter. Let the boondis soak in the sugar syrup for few minutes.


Making of Laddu:

1. Boondis soak most of the sugar syrup. Drain off the excess syrup (not much will be there)
2. Take a flat laddle and keep pressing the bhoondis in the syrup. Make sure you not to break the bhoondis but to press well gently. This helps the boondis to absorb the sugar syrup well and also the helps in making the laddu balls.
3. Once they are warm enough to handle (Remember not to let them cool off completely as the sugar will crystallize) grease your hands and take some part of the mixture into your palm. Gently squeeze it with your palms and make a round ball.
4. If the bhoondis tend to be sticking to ur hands(maybe after 2-3 laddus), wash your hands, dry them, grease again and try to make the laddus.
5. As the laddus cool to room temperature they will become firm.


Note:
1. While frying the bhoondis, if they seems to absorb more oil(the bhoondis will be little porous), it means the batter has becomes watery and you have to add little more besan
2. If the shape of the bhoondis are little elongated and not circle, it means you need little more water to the batter
3. While making laddus, if the sugar syrup has crystallized and the bhoondis are no more sticky (like sugared bhoondis), then heat the sugared bhoondis by adding 1 tbsp of hot water. This will help to melt the sugar and you'll be able to hold them tougether and make laddus.