Boondi Laadoo

The critical tool for making Boondi Laadoo, is the boondi maker...a flat ladle that has several black pepper sized holes, and a long handle.

Makes: 25 laadoos
Preparation time: 1 - 1.5 hours

For Boondi
2.5 cups besan (channa flour)
water to make a thick batter

For sugar syrup
1/2 cup water
3 cup sugar
a pinch orange food coloring
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Cashew bits
Raisins
2.5 tsp ghee
oil for frying

Making sugar syrup

. Prepare the sugar syrup by heating a mixture of the water and sugar.
. Heat the mixture till the syrup thickens.
. Add cardamom powder and food coloring and mix.
. Syrup is ready when you use a spoon or your fingers to test the stickiness, and it trickles as one string. (also known as oru kambi padam
. Take off heat immediately, but let it sit near the stove (so it is warm but not thickening more).
. In 1/2 tsp ghee, fry the cashew bits and raisins, till cashews are golden brown, and set aside.
Making boondi

. Make batter with the besan and water, adding enough water to ensure it has a thick, runny, consistency.
. Heat oil in a flat pan. (flat, so it is easy to remove the boondis).
. Test oil, with a droplet of batter - it should sizzle and rise. Reduce to medium heat.
. Hold the boondi plate about 3-4 inches above the oil and pour batter using a soup ladle.
. Immediately rub the soup ladle in circles around the plate, so it spreads all the batter evenly.
. Fry the boondis till they are golden brown, but not too much.
. Drain on a paper towel.
. When boondi is drained of oil, but is still warm, add to the sugar syrup. Warm boondi best absorbs sugar syrup.
. Repeat till all the batter is fried.

Making the laadoos

. Add two tsp of ghee, fried cashews and raisins to the boondi-syrup and mix carefully with a wooden spoon.
. Now take a handful of the boondi in one palm, using the pressure from two fingers on your other hand, press firmly applying even pressure to make a ball. It is important to not apply too much pressure (hence use only two fingers), which could lead to hard ladoos.
. Repeat till all the boondis are pressed into laadoos, and set them on a plate to slightly dry out. This is to ensure that the sugar syrup binds well and the laadoo doesn't crumble.
. Store in a dry, air-tight container for about a week - 10 days.