Besan ladoo / Chick Pea Flour Balls

Ladoos or the Cookie Balls are one of the most common of all Indian sweets. Amongst all of them, Besan ladoos are an all time favorite. Made from roasted chick pea flour, these are rich and sweet  & can be a dessert or a snack in your menu. As the chick pea flour begins to roast, it releases a nutty aroma , which is unique to it. When this aroma diffuses into the whole house, you know that the Chickpea flour/ Besan is roasted completely. 
 
Personally, I don’t enjoy nuts in any food item. So I don’t use them in my cooking. And as far as Besan ladoos are concerned , I would want to enjoy the original flavor of roasted besan  without the nuts or cardamom which some people like to add in. But if you are from India,you know that the original Besan ladoos means just pure Besan !  
Makes  : 14                                Serving size : 1- 2  

Cooking time:10 minutes     Cooling Time: 15 minutes

Preparation time:  15 minutes   Total time : 40 minutes  

Course :  Dessert / Appetizer
Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups chick pea flour (besan)
  • ¼ cup semolina flour (sooji)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted melted butter (ghee)
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional )
For Garnish (optional) :
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee
  • 1 tablespoons sliced pistachios (pista) 
Miscellaneous Items :
Medium sized deep skillet
Spatula for mixing
Directions:
  1. Mix besan (Chick pea flour), semolina and melted butter in a large skillet.
  2. Keep stirring this mixture on low- medium heat for 8-10 minutes until besan turns light golden/ brown.
  3. When it is completely roasted , you can smell its nutty aroma. Over cooked/burnt mixture will be dark/chocolate  brown  & is practically a waste.
  4. Turn off the heat & let the roasted mixture cool down ( 15 minutes).
  5. Now add the sugar ( and also the almonds if you like ) to the above not – so – hot mixture.
  6. To make the ladoos, take about 2 tablespoons of warm roasted mixture in  your palm. Gently press the mixture between your palms to form a smooth, round, bite size ball.  You can vary the size of the ladoos if you want to.
  7. Garnishing the ladoos ( optional) :  Dip the tip of each ladoo at a time into melted butter or ghee. Then lightly touch that buttered part of the ladoo with the sliced pistachios so that some pistachios stick to the ladoo.
Storage:
 Ladoos can be stored in an airtight container for  couple of weeks.
Cooking Suggestions:
Keep stirring the mixture all the time with a spatula to prevent burning.
Must be cooked on a low- medium flame so that the mixture gets cooked evenly.
Nutritional information:
Good source of carbohydrates & proteins.
Excellent source of Folate .
Did you know ???
  • When mixed with an equal proportion of water, the Chick pea flour/ Besan  can be used as an egg replacer in vegan cooking.
  • In the form of a paste with water or yogurt it is a very good facial exfoliant.

5 Comments

  1. Hi,
    I tried the exact same recipe but my mixture has become too soft. Tried adding more besan but still didnt get the same texture you have. What could be the issue?

    • Hi There…sorry that your ladoos turned out soft. It has never happened to me. But here are the possible reasons:
      Usually the butter /ghee binds the ladoo and on cooling the ghee/butter solidifies, making the ladoos harder. So please make sure you have added the minimal desired amount of fat. Another reason which could result in softer ladoos is adding sugar too early to the mixture. To avoid that, its a good idea to add it after turning of the heat. Ok, now the solution part: Add some water to the soft, crumbly ladoos you have and try making burfi out of it. Or just eat it like that – we call it ‘panjiri’ in North India. Hope this helps. And i’m sorry for a delayed response.

  2. @ Gauri..it also makes them firm !!

  3. Hey didn't know one could add rava to the besan ladoo, i guess it is for better texture. Your besan laddoos look delicious !

  4. Delicious!!

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