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Boondi laddu

traditional boondi laddu recipe
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

For Boondi

  • 1 +1/2 cup Kadalai Maavu | Besan | Gram Flour | Chickpea Flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Rice Flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 3/4 cup Water + few tablespoon water to alter batter consistency
  • Oil for frying

For Sugar Syrup

  • 1 + 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 3/4 cup hot Water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • Saffron few strands
  • Turmeric powder pinch

For Laddu

  • 1 tablespoon Ghee
  • 10 whole Cashews chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Raisins
  • Small piece Edible Camphor

Instructions

Heat oil

  • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed deep wide pan at medium flame

Boondi

  • Take besan flour, rice flour, baking soda, and turmeric powder, sieve, and transfer over a mixing bowl
  • Add 3/4 cup water and whisk to form a smooth lump free batter
  • The laddu batter should be neither too thick nor too thin, it should have a thick pouring consistency

Check oil temperature

  • Drop little boondi in hot oil
  • Too hot oil - boondi turns dark (burn)
  • Not hot enough - sink to the bottom of the pan soon after dropping
  • Right Oil Temperature - boondi float

Check Batter consistency - boondi shape and texture

  • Take boondi ladle or any perforated ladle and add a ladle full of batter, tap the boondi ladle gently or lightly swirl the batter with a ladle
  • Tail attached boondhi - the batter is too thick, add little water, mix well and adjust
  • Too crisp boondi - the batter is watery (too thin) add extra besan and mix well
  • Round boondi - the batter is the correct consistency. Need not be perfectly round but firm sphere-like balls fried little soft on the inside - Right Boondi Shape & Texture

Fry boondi

  • Always keep the boondi ladle or any perforated ladle a few inches away from the pan
  • Tap the boondi ladle with another ladle or swirl the batter with another ladle(avoid hard press) and prepare boondi in batches
  • Fry on medium flame. Boondi cooks fast (less than a minute). When Vigorous bubble subsides remove the boondi from the oil and keep them in an oil filter
  • Always fry boondi in batches and do not overcrowd.
  • Check oil temperature between batches and fry the entire batter, keep boondi in the oil filter for some time then transfer to a wide mixing bowl

Fry cashew and raisins for laddu

  • Heat ghee on medium flame, when ghee turns hot add the broken cashews and fry
  • When it turns brown add raisins and saute till they both turn golden brown
  • Turn off the stove and keep aside

Sugar Syrup for laddu

  • In a separate wide pan, add hot water and turn on the stove in medium flame
  • When water turns frothy boil add sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, and turmeric powder; mix well
  • Bring it to boil takes around 5 mins for vigorous boil
  • Sample a little of the sugar syrup in between your thumb and index finger and keeping stretching to check if it forms a thread-like string

Soft and juicy laddu - Half string consistency

  • Initially, you will get half-string consistency. Refer pic. Little sugar syrup in between your thumb and index finger and stretch- you will get a string but it will break immediately if you try to stretch further it will break. (this stage usually comes around 5-6 minutes). Refer video. If you are a beginner making laddu for the first time stop at this stage. laddu tastes resemble north Indian laddu

Soft but firm laddu - Single Thread Consistency

  • Little sugar syrup in between your thumb and index finger and stretch- you will get a string and if you try to stretch further it will turn into a thin string. This consistency also yields soft laddu but firm compared to half string consistency. Sweet stall style laddu

Double Thread Consistency - traditional South Indian Style Laddus | temple prasadam

  • Little sugar syrup in between your thumb and index finger and stretch- you will get two strings. It happens in 2-3 mins after single string consistency. Keep monitoring. Double strong consistency yields firmer laddu with dry a feel but still packed with a soft feel on the inside

Soaking the boondi in sugar syrup

  • Once it reaches the desired stage, immediately switch off the flame and pour this sugar syrup over the boondis
  • Furthermore, add roasted cashews and raisins, mix well with a ladle
  • Finally, add edible camphor and mix well

When to roll and shape laddu

  • Grease your hands with ghee and roll laddu
  • Double thread sugar syrup - Boondi soak soon in sugar syrup(in few minutes). crystalize at a faster pace so start shaping the laddu soon. Always shape laddus when it is warm enough to touch. Do not rest them too long as it will be hard to shape them and crystallize
  • Single thread sugar syrup - Boondi soak slowly in sugar syrup and crystalize at a slower pace. Mix well and let the boondhi absorbs the sugar syrup then roll and shape laddu. Laddu might look soft but it turns firms overtime
  • Half-string sugar syrup - Boondi soak very slow in sugar syrup and crystalize at a slower pace compared to single-thread consistency. Mix well and let the boondhi absorbs the sugar syrup then roll and shape laddu

Video

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Notes

  1. If you are unable to shape laddu, pulse a small portion and try to shape laddu
  2. Half string consistency is the next stage after the sticky sugar syrup stage
  3. I didn't add food color but you can add little yellow/saffron color
  4. I just added cashews but you can add melon seeds, sugar candy, clove, nutmeg powder etc.
  5. Firm Laddus stay good for 2 weeks at room temperature. Soft laddus have a short life compared to firm laddus
  6. Finish half string consistency laddu soon
  7. Half string consistency laddu and single string consistency laddu gets firms overtime
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