Motichoor Boondi Laddu - For Diwali


motichoor-boondi-laddoos
Diwali is just one week away, and I'm sure preparations are on in full swing in many Indian households! As one fo the most widely celebrated Indian Festival, Diwali is a time for homemade sweets and snacks, and these Motichoor(Boondi) Laddoos are an apt creation! This Indian sweet gets its name from the Hindi word "Boond", meaning droplets, or "Moti", meaining Pearls!! Motichoor laddus made from fine gram-flour droplets which are fried and then immersed in a thick & delicious saffron flavored sugar syrup, and finally rolled into the shape of Laddoos. It looks like a lot of work, but when you put one in your mouth, you'll know its totally worth it!

An important part of any festival is the fact that you get to do things together, with your friends and family. Being is US, I miss the charm of some Indian festivals, but in my brief India trip, we tried to capture the essence as much as possible! The credit of this recipe goes to Saroj Ben, the lady who helps us make delicious delicacies during festival time, and of course to my Mom! Its great how inspiring and spiritually healing cooking can be.

My mom and my mother-in-law, both wanted to pack as many Diwali delicacies for us as the airlines would allow us to, so I have tonnes of goodies to share with you. For now, enjoy these lovely Motichoor Ladoos!

Ingredients
(Makes about 25 Laddoos)

For Boondi
2 1/2 cups of Gram Flour (Besan)
500 ml of Whole Milk
3 cups of Clarified Butter (Ghee) - for deep frying
1/4 cup dry-fruits - finely chopped (optional)

For Sugar Syrup
2 1/2 cups of Sugar
2 tbsp of Whole Milk
1/2 tsp of Cardamom Powder
A few drops of Saffron essence (for deep frying)
3 and 1/2 cups of Water

Special Equipement
A strainer, colander or fine sieve with droplet-sized or smaller pores

Method

Making the Sugar Syrup
In a large deep vessel, put the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, add in the milk. Boil for 5 minutes or until scum forms on top. Strain with the strainer spoon and return to stove. Add in the saffron color and boil until it is sticky but no thread has formed. Add in the cardamom powder and mix well. Then set aside.

Making the Boondi
Mix the flour and milk together to form a smooth batter. Heat the clarified butter in a heavy frying pan. Hold the boondi-strainer over the frying pan with one hand. With the other hand, pour some batter all over the holes. Tap gently until all of the batter has fallen into the hot clarified butter. Be careful to stay away from the stove as the ghee might sputter a little. Stir with another strainer and remove once it is light golden in color. Set aside on a paper towel, and repeat the process for the remaining batter.

Making the Laddoos
Partly crush/smash 1/4th of the fried boondi with hand; immerse all the fried boondi in the syrup. Drain any excess syrup and spread in a large plate. Add the chopped dry fruits to this mixture. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of hot water over it. Cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes so the boondi soaks up the syrup and it becomes soft.

Once it gets sticky, and cool enough to handle, take a small portion of the boondi mixture and shape into small round balls with moist palms. Do the same for all laddoos.

Arrange on a plate and keep open to dry so the laddoos solidify. One they are hard enough, you can store in an air-tight container and keep in the regrigerator for upto 2 weeks.

Enjoy these delicious Motichoor (Boondi) Laddus and share them with your friends and guest as you celebrate Diwali!

Need more Diwali Sweets? Try the Kesar Almond Burfi, Coconut Laddoos, Kesar Rasmalai or Bengalli Rasgullas and make your Diwali a memorable one!


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31 comments :

Mandira said...

I love Motichoor Laddu... we buy it all the time from the Indian store. Good one for diwali!

Anonymous said...

wow, these do look lovely! you got me geared up for Diwali with these ladoos girl!:)

~anjali

Pallavi said...

Yummy sweets.. This is one of my favorites.. !I hope you are sending these delicious recipes over to the diwali event that I am hosting..

Finla said...

I love this laddoo. Just reading the recipe and seeing the pic make me drool.
Wish i had few of them here with me.

Anonymous said...

these look great! and they are not as hard as I thought they are to make! i think I'm going to try this recipe Mansi!:) will let you know how it goes:D

Ami

Manggy said...

Happy Diwali! I hope you are successful in capturing what you've missed in India :) These motichoor boondis are a good start! :)

Meeta K. Wolff said...

I have never made my own laddus before but these sound rather easy. Thanks!

Sonia said...

Hi Mansi,
I never thought we can make it home so easily. nice and easy recipe. I must try it.
Thanks.

Mansi said...

hey folks! yes, its indeed not as hard as it looks, and its actually fun! get your kids to make the laddus, and hide some 10c inside!:) that'll make it exciting for them!:D hehehe

Can't wait to see all your Diwali creations! thanks for all your kid words:)

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

oh, these look yummy!!! never tried making them myself, though...

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

thanks for your comments in my blog Mansi. those ladooos are perfect.. i always thought they r difficult to make. they are delicious though. yours look absolutely wonderful!

amna said...

i love these laddus. Used to have then all the time in Hyd!

Anonymous said...

Very good Recipe of Diwali Ladu. May people make their Diwali Sweet by using your menus for this blog.

Hiding Coins inside Ladu is not Good for safety and Hygiene reasons. Coins are handled by unknown persons

Regards
365greetings.com

Note: For free greeting cards Please Visit us

Uma said...

ooh, these laddus look fabulous Mansi!

Anonymous said...

hello,
i have been trying this ladoo for so many months but not getting properly. your ladoo looks perfect. i have some doubt can u pls reply me.
1. Can you post the striner photo, as i have big whole striner i just need to know how is yours, so that i can buy when i go to india
2. do we have to deep fr boondi till crisp or soft.
3. my ladoos never observe sugar syrup and becomes soft, if i keep for some more time it will harden and i can;t make ladoo, why it is

pls answer my questions as i need to try this for diwali, plsssss

karuna said...

motichoor laddus are so festive. just looking at it, reminds me of all the occasions. really nice recipe. i think i shld try making them for this diwali

SMN said...

Hey Manasi i cant take away my eyes of this ladoo.. this is one of my all time fav ladoo. thanks for the recipe.

Mansi said...

Hi Anonymous - here are your answers:

1. unfortunately, the stariner is bakc in India, at my mom's placce, so I can't post the pic; but its similar to a "charni", or "jhaaro" which you use to fry puris - it just has smaller holes. If you go to India, ask them for a specific one for Motichoor Laddus, and they'll give you the right one:)

2. Let the oil be hot enough, and gently tap the batter on the stariner to spread boondi in the entire kadhai; if it falls in one place, it'll all clump together! also, just fry for 1 min at high flame, and remove it; don't let it get too dark or crispy.

3. Next dip the boondis in the sugar syrup; After soaking them for few minutes, spread them on a plate evenly. This is important, as then only they become plump; Sprinkle hot water over this mixture and cover it with a cloth and leave it for 10 minutes.

Before making laddus, break a few boondis or mash them a bit, that's how you'll get a thinner boondi variety rather than the bigger boondi.

hope this helps! if you have more specific questions, email me using the Contact Form on the blog and I'll be happy to help!:)

Anonymous said...

They look so delicious & makes me feel like having them right now... u started that craving..:-D

I have made Boondis for raita, but i guess these need to be smaller, so a strainer with smaller holes.. will look in the Indian stores if they would have any.

Happy Diwali!

Anonymous said...

Wow. This recipes looks yummy.

news.linq.in said...

Happy Diwali!
"Motichoor Boondi Laddu" are looking very yummy & as inspired by you this time we will surely try them at home.

Regards,
Vibha.

Anonymous said...

I am just eying on plate...why??Well i don't like sweets and ladoo....out of question...but i have few crazy members in my family who can actually eat these like gluttons...plate look gorgeous....

Anonymous said...

Once you said "fried and then immersed in a thick & delicious saffron flavored sugar syrup" I was game. By the way, do you any have good recipes for samosas? I am craving.

Anonymous said...

t looks like a lot of work, but when you put one in your mouth, you'll know its totally worth it!

Anonymous said...

Lovely recipe. I have an addiction to cardamom syrup.

Mallika said...

You made your own laddoos? Impressive! I've honestly never met anyone who hasn't just bought these in a shop.

Mallika said...

Oh and Happy Diwali!

Mansi said...

Pirrouttte- hope you got my samosa recipe:)

Jude - same here!

Mallika - correction - my mom and Saroj Ben made the laddoos, I just rolled the laddus and jotted down the recipe!:)

Happy Diwali to you too!:)

Kitchen Chronicles said...

Motichoor Laddu. Yummy. Never tried one. Your picture looks so lovely. Feel like having them immediately.

Anonymous said...

A Yummy post on motichoor laddu and diwali! Wishing all netizens a very Happy & Prosperous Diwali 2009. You can get some more nformation about diwali and also download Diwali 2009 themed wallpapers at this link below:

Diwali Sweets to India

sophia said...

I love all the sweets very much. Thnaks for the recipe...