8 Tips To Make Halwai-Style Besan Ladoo This Festive Season

And just like that, we are here. Right in the middle of the festive season, awaiting Diwali. And since the pandemic is still very much around, it would be a sage decision to keep the celebrations a private and intimate affair, and most of us trying our best to do that. For instance, this year, I have decided to make some of the traditional sweets at home. That’s right, I aced the Kaju Katlis, the barfis came out so much softer than the market ones, and I also did away with the silver varq, which I am not a big fan of. Most traditional Indian sweets, especially ladoos and barfis, are made with a handful of ingredients, and the method is also not very difficult (on paper). However, it is the technique of the halwais that makes their sweets so much different from ours. 

Take besan ladoo for instance. It is an Indian sweet made with gram flour continuously stirred in with ghee and mixed with sugar. It is not supposed to be soft like ras malai, or fudgy like barfi or spongy like rasgulla, but it needs to have a smooth finish, and the besan should be so delicately handled that the ladoos should melt in your mouth. 

Sounds like a task? That’s why we have these tips for you. 

1. As a rule of thumb, measure out the ingredients, you can take a cup, or any vessel of your choice keep that as a standard measuring tool.
2. It is advisable to opt for ‘mota besan’ or gram flour that is not very fine. 
3. Make sure you do all the cooking on medium flame; else, you may burn up all the besan. 
4. Even when you are melting ghee, it should be on low, medium flame. 
5. Add besan as soon as the ghee melts. Mix besan and ghee until it turns golden on a low flame. It will start releasing ghee, and the mixing will get easier with time. It is advisable not to pour all the ghee at once because you do not want the mix to be too thin. 
6. Keep stirring continuously when mixing ghee and besan. It is essential to do so on low flame as it ensures the besan is not raw. 
7. Once the mix is nice and smooth and the colour is even, your kitchen will be filled with a lovely aroma. This is where you can add a tsp of saffron or haldi water. Stir for another minute or two. 
8. Switch off the gas when your besan mix is of nice paste-like consistency, not too thick or not too thin. Allow it to cool down a bit. Then add the bhoora or sugar powder; if you want to add cardamom for flavour, you can do that as well. Mix it well. Mould mix in the shape of laddoos using greased palms, and you are done. 

Here’s a lovely recipe of Besan ke Ladoo that you may want to try soon for the festive weekend that lies ahead. Happy Diwali to everyone.