BESAN LADOO RECIPE | HOW TO MAKE BESAN LADOO

Besan Ladoo is one of the most popular Indian sweets usually made during some festivities. These are small sweet balls made of gram flour, sugar, and ghee/ clarified butter.

Diwali is just around the corner so I'm making besan ladoo to serve during the puja. Besan means gram flour in Hindi and ladoo are ball-shaped sweet treats, hence the name Besan Ladoo (or besan laddu). This is one Indian sweet that my husband and I like a lot. So I never miss an opportunity to make besan ke laddu. These are easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.

When I was a kid, my Mom used to cook a lot of goodies for Diwali & Holi. So keeping the tradition alive, I try to make as many things as possible. Eating Besan Ladoo is one of the memories I cherish a lot. My Mom used to make different kinds of sweets & snacks and we impatiently waited for her to finish making everything. And once all the cooking was done, we used to enjoy that grand feast.

WHAT IS BESAN LADOO (BESAN LADDU)?

Besan ladoo is the ball-shaped sweet treats that are made with gram flour, sugar, ghee, and some flavoring. Besan means gram flour in Hindi and ladoo are small ball-shaped sweet treats, hence the name Besan Ladoo.

This is the easiest besan ladoo recipe, compared to other Ladoo recipes. Besan Ladoos require minimal ingredients. Their main flavor comes from the roasted flour.

BESAN LADOO INGREDIENTS

• GRAM FLOUR: The main ingredient for making this besan ladoo recipe is gram flour/besan. I usually sift the flour before roasting to get an even texture. Some people also add rava/sooji while making these treats.
• SUGAR: As this is Indian sweet so sugar is another main ingredient. You can add granulated sugar or powdered sugar. If you want a little darker colored ladoo then you can also add some brown sugar to the recipe.
• GHEE: Ladoo, like other Indian sweets, is incomplete without ghee/clarified butter. You can add butter or oil to this besan laddu recipe as well. But the taste will not be the same. Ghee is used for roasting the flour at low heat until the flour becomes aromatic.
• FLAVORING: It is optional but to enhance the flavor, you can use some Cardamom Seeds Powder and Fennel Seeds Powder.
• ADD-INS: I like adding some finely chopped nuts to the ladoos. It gives a nice crunch.

TIPS TO REMEMBER

1. First and foremost is to sift the flour if you want an even texture in the ladoos. Though not all recipes require that, I like the ladoos better when made with sifted flour.
2. The best flavor comes from properly roasted flour. Properly roasted flour means that your house will be filled with a nice aroma of roasted besan. If besan is not properly roasted, you will feel the raw smell in your besan laddu and it will not taste good.
3. The more you roast the flour, the more flavorful your besan ladoo will turn out. But too much roasting can also spoil the taste.
4. Continuous stirring while roasting the flour is very important. If you don't stir regularly, besan will stick at the bottom and you'll get a burnt smell in the ladoo.
5. Add sugar when the flour & ghee mixture cools down. If you add sugar when the mixture is still hot, then sugar may melt and you'll end up with a liquidish mixture.
6. Best to use powdered sugar in this besan laddu recipe. If you don't have that, then just grind granulated sugar.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• First, sift the flour so that it is lump-free. This will provide even texture to the ladoos.

  

  

• Next, in a heavy-bottomed pan, add ghee. Let it warm so that the ghee/clarified butter melts.
• Next, at low-heat, add besan/gram flour and mix until combined.

  

  

• In the beginning, some lumps will appear in the flour. Don't worry, keep stirring. After a few minutes of roasting, it will loosen up and form a lumpy texture.
• Keep stirring for 10-15 minutes and it will turn smooth. By now, you can smell a nice aroma coming from the besan mixture.

  

  

• Keep roasting for a few minutes more until the besan changes color. This will take around 25 minutes and you'll notice your house is filled with its aroma. Turn off the flame and transfer the roasted besan to a bowl to stop the cooking process.

  

  

• Once the mixture cools down, add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and nuts. Mix everything until well combined.
• Take some mixture in your palms and roll it into a ball shape. Repeat the process for the remaining mixture.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why Besan Ladoo taste bitter?

There can be two reasons for the ladoos tasting bitter. Either the flour is too old and has gone bad. Or you have roasted the besan for too long or burnt it. This may result in bitter Besan Ladoos.

How to make Besan Ladoo without Ghee?

If you don't want to use Ghee, you can still make besan ladoo with oil or unsalted butter. Use the same proportion as Ghee and no need to change anything else.

Is Besan Ladoo Gluten-Free?

Yes, besan ladoo is gluten-free. Besan is made from Bengal Gram Lentils. So besan laddu doesn't have any gluten in it. It is like chickpea flour and you can also use chickpea flour in the recipe.

How to store Besan Ladoo?

You can store the ladoos in an air-tight container and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer. You can store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for 1-2 months. When re-using just defrost it overnight and warm in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and enjoy.

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