‘In religion, India is the only millionare’, American Author Mark Twain once remarked, and it is indeed fascinating to me every time I think about it. Just like Jerusalem, India has also served as a birthplace for many religions such as Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Zoroastrians also set sail for India upon fearing persecution in their homeland back in eight century and found refuge in parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Today, Hinduism is the largest religion in India, as per the 2011 census. Close to 966.3 million people identified as Hindus in India. Needless to say, the country is also replete with a fair amount of Hindu pilgrimage sites, and one of the most iconic temples is that of Thirumala Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the world’s most visited temples witnessing an outpour of lakhs of people on a daily basis. Located at the hill town of Tirumala, the temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Venkateshwara, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Apart from the unique customs and rituals, the temple is also renowned for its Naivedyam or food offerings made to God, a part of which is also offered to the pilgrims
How Is Tirupati Ladoo Made
One of the chief offerings in the Naivedyam is the Tirupati Ladoo. Did you know the Ladoo is so popular that it also has a GI tag to its credit? GI Tag is earned by products that have a specific geographical origin, or are renowned for a certain quality that is peculiar to the region. According to the book ‘A Historical Companion to Indian Food’ by Food Historian KT Achaya, more than 70,000 of these laddoos are made on a daily basis in the kitchen known as Laddoo Potu, as of 2021, the capacity has increased even more. More than 3 tonnes of urad dal, 6 tonnes of sugar, 2.5 tonnes of ghee, in addition to large amounts of raisins, cashewnuts and cardamom are used to make these ladoos, Achaya notes.
The Potu is equipped with three conveyor belts to enable carrying of ingredients to the Potu to furnishing finished ladoos. Huge batches of vada, dosa, rava appam, and sweet payasam are also cooked in the temple premises for the pilgrims.
The Tirupati ladoos are sweet, firm, the nuts and dry fruits offer a nice crunch and contrast of flavours. The ladoos are of moderate size, and are so yummy that plenty of people try recreating the same at their own home for special pujas and occasions. We came across one and are sharing the same here. Since the original ladoos are so rich, at home people modify ingredient as per their taste and preferences too. If you have ever tried making the ladoo, do share the recipe with us. Or if you have ever tried the original ladoo, do share your experience.