Matar Paratha

                       

Matar Paratha is a healthy and delicious stuffed flatbread made with whole wheat flour and spiced green peas. Fresh green peas are used in making this flavorful Winter delicacy that can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner with plain curd and pickle. It makes for a great lunchbox option as well. The recipe is vegan, Onion-garlic free and easy to follow. Hot matar paratha topped with a dollop of homemade butter tastes heavenly and is difficult to resist. 

What is Paratha? 

Paratha is an unleavened flatbread that is made with whole wheat flour and some vegetable. In North India flat-breads are typically cooked on a daily basis to be enjoyed at breakfast with curd and some pickle. However parathas can also be served at lunch or dinner with dal, stir-fry or curry. Parathas can be plain or stuffed one. Plain parathas can be made by simply adding chopped leafy vegetables and herbs with spices to the whole wheat flour and kneading into a dough that is further rolled out and cooked on a heated tawa (griddle). Stuffed parathas on the other hand have a vegetable filling that is stuffed into a whole wheat outer covering that is rolled and roasted on a griddle. 

                         

What goes in to my version of Matar paratha ? The ingredients:

Matar Paratha is a typical North Indian Winter Delicacy but it can be enjoyed throughout the year using frozen green peas. Today, I am sharing my version of Matar paratha which has obviously a bit of my  Maharashtrian influence and is the way my family enjoys it on weekends. The paratha dough is made with whole wheat flour that is seasoned with salt, a bit of oil and carom seeds (ajwain). The green peas stuffing is similar to the stuffing i make for my Matar Karanji. I add a bit of fresh coconut to the filling which gives a nutty flavor and mild sweetness to the filling which balances the spice levels very well making the paratha all the more flavorful. Let's have a look at the ingredients one by one.

For the outer covering (dough) of the paratha we require,

• Whole Wheat flour: Homemade matar parathas made using whole wheat flour dough are healthy compared to the ones that we get in restaurants that use refined flour instead. 
• Carom seeds: I always add carom seeds (ajwain ) to my paratha dough which not only adds to the flavor of the paratha but also aids in digestion.
• Oil: Adding 1-2 teaspoon of oil to the wheat flour makes the paratha dough soft.
• Salt: Salt is added both to the dough and the stuffing, so use it carefully.

For the stuffing: 

• Fresh Green peas: I would recommend using fresh green peas as they lend a wonderful taste to the paratha. However, if making matar paratha when fresh green peas are not in season or handy, you may use frozen ones.
• Oil: Little oil is used to saute the green peas stuffing.
• Cumin Seeds (jeera) and Fennel Seeds(saunf): The oil for the stuffing is tempered with cumin and fennel seeds.
• Fresh scrapped coconut: I personally love the flavor of fresh coconut in matar paratha and i would recommend trying it once.
• Ginger and Green chilies: Minced ginger and green chilies add a spicy kick to the paratha. 
• Amchur / Raw Mango Powder: For a bit of tang.
• Garam Masala: adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the paratha.
• Asafoetida / Hing : A tiny pinch of asafoetida adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the dish. Aids in digestion as well.
• Turmeric Powder: Gives a beautiful color to the paratha.
• Fresh Coriander Leaves: Add a refreshing flavor to the paratha.

                          

Health Benefits of Green Peas: Before moving ahead with the recipe, let's have a look at the various health benefits of including fresh green peas into our daily diet.

Green Peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetables. Fresh tender peas are low in calories and a good source of protein, vitamins and fiber.Fresh pods are excellent sources of Folic acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and many other essential B complex Vitamins. Furthermore, they arerich source of minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese.

                         

Related Event: #WinterVeggies@FoodieMondayBlogHop

We are celebrating Winter's bounty in our Facebook gourmet group, Foodie Monday Blog Hop by creating some delicious dishes using fresh Winter vegetables. Sasmita who blogs at @Firsttimercook is our hostess for the 274th week. It is winter time in most part of the world and it is the time to enjoy the winter delicacies that are made using fresh Winter produce. Taking this into account, Sasmita thoughtfully suggested that we share recipes using fresh winter veggies. For me Winter means lush green leafy veggies, sweet red carrots and fresh Green peas. In India Winters are incomplete without relishing the delightful  Gajar ka Halwa or the soulful combo of  Sarson ka Saag with Makki Ki Roti. we Indians take pride in flaunting our various pickle varieties made using different fruits and vegetables. Bhogichi Bhaji and Undhiyu are the mixed vegetable curries typically made using the fresh winter vegetables from the Maharashtrian and Gujarati Cuisine respectively. This healthy and flavorful matar paratha is my humble contribution towards the theme. Meanwhile do check out Sasmita's space for some authentic Odia delicacies. Her Bhendi Besara, Lady Finger in Mustard paste is next on my to do list.

Dietary Notes: 

• Vegetarian breakfast
• Healthy and nutritious
• Vegan 
• Jain recipe (onion-garlic free)
• Kid friendly

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

For the dough: 

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour / aata
• 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds / ajwain
• 1-2 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the green peas stuffing:

• 1/2 cup fresh green peas / matar
• 1 tablespoon fresh scrapped coconut / nariyal
• 1/2 inch ginger / adrak
• 2-3 green chilies / hari mirch
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander / hara dhaniya
• Pinch of Asafoetida / Hing
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds/ saunf
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric / haldi
• 1/4 teaspoon raw mango powder / Amchur
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of Sugar ( optional)
• 2 teaspoon oil

Other Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour for dusting
• Oil or ghee for roasting the paratha.

1.  First we will prepare the dough for the paratha. For that take whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add oil, salt and carom seeds to it. Give a good mix and knead the flour to a soft dough using water as required. Cover the dough with a muslin cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.

                               

                               

2. While our dough is resting, we will prepare the stuffing. Heat 1-2 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and fennel seeds to it. Once the seeds sizzle, add the minced ginger and green chili. Saute for a minute or so.

                                

3. Next, lower the flame and add spice powders - Asafoetida, turmeric powder, raw mango powder and garam masala followed by the fresh scrapped coconut. Stir fry all the spices and coconut. Next, add shelled fresh green peas and stir-fry for a minute.

                                 

                                 

4. Season the green peas with salt and a pinch of sugar. Cover cook for 4-5 minutes or until the peas are soft. You may add around 1-2 teaspoon water if you feel the stuffing is dry or is catching the bottom of the pan.

                                 

                                 

5. Garnish the green peas stir-fry with finely chopped coriander leaves and mash it using a potato masher. Allow it to cool down in a plate.

                                 

6. Now we will proceed with making the paratha. Divide the dough into equal portions. take a dough ball and roll it into a small disc (4 inch). Place around 2 tablespoon of the green peas mixture in the centre and gather the edges of the disc and seal it to secure the stuffing within. Dust the stuffed ball with flour and carefully roll it out into an even round shaped paratha. 

                                   

                                    

                                    

     

                                             

8. Place the rolled out paratha on the hot griddle or tawa and cook from both sides until light brown spots appear on the paratha. Apply little ghee or oil and fry the paratha until golden brown. Make all the parathas similarly. 

                               

9. Healthy and delicious matar paratha are ready to serve ! Top the paratha with butter and serve with plain curd and pickle of your choice. I have served it with Amla Pickle.

   

                         

Recipe Notes:

• I would recommend use of fresh green peas for best taste, however the paratha can be made using frozen peas if fresh peas is not handy or in season.
• Fresh coconut adds a lovely nutty flavor and mild sweet taste to the paratha which balances the spicy flavors.
• The paratha tastes best when served hot. Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave oven or roasted on a heated griddle.
• Adjust the green chilies as per your spice tolerance.
• Boiled potatoes may be added along with green peas for variation. In that case the paratha will be aloo matar paratha, yet another delicious and filling breakfast option.
• The leftover green peas mixture can be used as a stuffing for matar kachori or samosa or stuffed in a sandwich. I sometimes pair it with simple chapati as well.

Would Love To Hear From You !

I hope you would love to try out this healthy and delicious matar paratha this winter season. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post. 

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of the blog. Your appreciations means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best every time. 

If you like my work and want to be updated with latest recipes, follow us on various social media platforms. My social media handles are as under for your kind reference. 

Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot/

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Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then take care and eat right !

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

Related Posts: 

• Matar Karanji

• Matar Dalia Kheer

• Matar Usal

• Matar Paneer

• Methi Matar Malai

• Aloo Matar Curry

• Khoya Matar Makhana

• Matar Mushroom

Vegetable Manchow Soup

                            

Vegetable Manchow Soup is one of the most popular soup recipes from the Indo-Chinese Cuisine. It is a delicious, hot and spicy vegan soup loaded with healthy goodness of vegetables. Piping hot bowl of this vegetable Manchow soup topped with crispy fried noodles is difficult to resist, especially on a chilly winter night.  Finely chopped seasonal vegetables are simmered in a wholesome vegetable broth, seasoned with Asian flavors( sauces and spices) to make this soup. Apart from vegetables, I have added mushrooms also. With an easy recipe, you can serve this vegetable Manchow soup as an appetizer before the main course or as a light meal.

                                    

What is Manchow Soup ?

As per Wikipedia, Meghalaya is the origin of Manchow soup. It is dark brown soup prepared with a variety of vegetables, scallions, chicken, thickened with broth and cornflour and flavored with generous amount of soy sauce, chili pepper, salt and garlic. Manchow soup can be both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. One can find Manchow soup in Indo-Chinese restaurants and street carts across India.

Manchow soup is one of the soup dishes that can be relished hot and warm during chilly winters and monsoon season. A bowl of hot and spicy manchow soup is very comforting when the weather is cold. It is home remedy for common cold and flu. The garlic and pepper in the soup has a soothing effect on sore throat and aids in digestion as well. 

                                     

What Goes into my Vegetable Manchow Soup ? The Ingredients

• Vegetables: This Manchow soup is loaded with winter vegetables like carrots, baby corn, french beans, spring onions, bell pepper and cabbage. You may use any seasonal non-pulpy veggies of your choice in this soup.
• Mushrooms: I have added finely chopped button mushrooms which are a good source of protein and fiber. I often add finely chopped tofu or Paneer as well. 
• Vegetable Broth :  Homemade vegetable stock/broth is the best as it makes the soup nutritious and flavorful. If vegetable broth is not available, plain water can be used but the taste of the soup will be different.
• Cornflour Slurry: The soup is thickened with vegetable broth and cornflour slurry (cornflour paste with water). I have used very little cornflour as we prefer our soup to be thin. If you like a thick soup, add more cornflour.
• Soy sauce: Use good quality soy sauce. I use it sparingly as my family does not like the soup to be on the tangier side. 
• Green chili, ginger and garlic paste: Do not skip this as it adds a lot of flavor and makes the soup spicy.
• Vinegar: Use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper gives a wonderful flavor to the Manchow soup.
• Salt: Use it carefully as soy sauce and store bought vegetable stock also has salt in it.
• Oil: Use sesame seed oil for best taste.
• Fried Noodles:  Usually Manchow soup served in Indian restaurants and street carts is garnished with fried noodles which adds a lovely crunch to the soup. Boiled Hakka Noodles are deep fried and then added to the soup just before serving or else they get soggy. I did not have Hakka noodles so i used Maggie instead. I just boiled the Maggie noodles, drained it, dusted it with cornflour and the deep fried it until crisp. Adding fried noodles to the soup is optional. It tastes great without its addition too.

                                     

Variations to the Manchow Soup:

• Finely chopped Tofu or Paneer may be added to the Manchow soup to add the protein element in it. 
• Ketchup may be added to the soup. In that case the Manchow soup will taste more like the hot and sour soup as tomato ketchup will make the soup tangy.
• Add chicken broth and shredded chicken pieces to this soup to make it a Chicken Manchow Soup.
• Chili sauce can be added if you can tolerate the heat.

                                     

Dietary Notes:

• Vegetarian Soup
• Vegan (egg and dairy free)
• Healthy and delicious meal option
• Kid friendly
• Winter Food
• Home remedy for common cold and flu

Related Event: 

It is raining Winter Warmer recipes on our Facebook gourmet group, Healthy Wellthy Cuisines. It is a group of passionate food bloggers who share their culinary skills fortnightly depending upon a pre-determined theme. Swaty who blogs at Foodtrails.com was our hostess for the 97th theme and she suggested that we share soup recipes that are relished hot and warm during the Winter season. This healthy and flavorful Manchow soup loaded with winter veggies is my contribution towards the theme. meanwhile, do check out Swaty's blog for some healthy and del;icious recipes from around the globe. I have bookmarked her Lemon Coriander Amla Soup and Apple Rasam to try out soon. In case you are interested to know what my fellow bloggers have shared under this theme, click on the links below.

• Herbal Rasam by Narmadha
  
• Beet Carrot Soup by Sasmita
  
• Tomato Shorba by Jayashree
  
• Indian Spiced Carrot Apple Soup with Turmeric by Vanitha
  
• Creamy Mushroom and Sweet Corn Soup by Swaty
  
• Tom Yum flavored Mushroom and Coriander Soup by Preethi

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients for the soup: Measurements used 1 Cup = 240 ml

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 2 green chilies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 1/3 cup finely chopped french beans
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon spring onion greens for garnishing
• 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup fried noodles for garnishing (optional)

Method: 

1. Take 1 tablespoon cornflour in a bowl and add 1/3 cup water to it. Make a lump free slurry. Keep aside. Finely mince the ginger, garlic and green chili. Keep all the ingredients (sauce, vegetable broth, spices) handy. Heat a large wok or sauce pan and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot add the minced ginger garlic and green chili. Saute it for few seconds on low to medium flame. 

                                     

2. Add Onions and saute it for 1-2 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Next, add the finely chopped carrot, french beans, cabbage, mushrooms and bell pepper. Saute the veggies on medium to high flame for around 2 minutes. The veggies should retain a little crunch in them.

                                     

3. Next, lower the flame and add the soy sauce and vinegar followed by the vegetable broth or water. Give a good stir and allow the soup to cook on medium flame.

                                     

4. When the soup starts boiling, add the cornflour water mixture and give a good stir to avoid any lump formation.  Season the soup with salt, pinch of sugar and black pepper powder. Add the green onion and let the soup cook for another 4-5 minutes. It will thicken a bit. In my case, as i have added only 1 tablespoon cornflour, the soup is fairly thin, the way my family loves to have it. Turn off the flame after 4-5 minutes.

                                     

               

5. Transfer the soup to individual bowls and garnish it with onion greens and fried noodles just before serving. Enjoy the healthy and flavorful vegetable Manchow soup with your loved ones!

         

Recipe Notes:

• Any seasonal non-pulpy veggies may be used in making this vegetable Manchow soup.
• I would recommend using homemade vegetable broth as it is preservative free and much more healthier and flavorful than the store bought ones. However, if you cannot source it or have it handy, use water instead. If using water, the taste of the soup will not the same though.
• To make easy one-pot vegetable stock at home, i simply add chopped veggies like carrots, cabbage, garlic, onions, herbs, bay leaf and black pepper( plus the stalks and trimmings of the veggies in my refrigerator)to a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and cook for 2 whistles and then simmer for another 10 minutes. Strain on cooling. Discard the veggies and use the stock/broth.
• To make crispy fried noodles, simply boil 100 grams of Hakka noodles. Drain and tap them with kitchen towel. Sprinkle little cornflour and toss to coat the noodles with cornflour. Deep fry the noodles until crisp. Since, i did not have Hakka noodles handy, i used the Maggie noodles instead. 
• Add the fried noodles to the soup just before serving or else it will become soggy.
• Finely chopped panner or tofu may be added to the soup for the protein element.
• Ketchup may be added to the soup. In that case the Manchow soup will taste more like the hot and sour soup as tomato ketchup will make the soup tangy.
• Add chicken broth and shredded chicken pieces to this soup to make it a Chicken Manchow Soup.
• Chili sauce can be added if you can tolerate the heat.

Would Love To Hear From You !

I hope you would love to give this healthy and delicious Manchow soup a try this Winter Season. If you do so,  feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of the blog. Your appreciations means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best every time. 

If you like my work and want to get updated with new recipes, do follow us on the various social media platforms. My social media handles are as under for your kind reference.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot/
• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/
• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B
• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then take care and eat right !

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

Regards

Poonam Bachhav

For more Winter warmers from this blog, check out the following

• Minestrone Soup

                             

• Detox Quinoa Vegetable Soup

• Spinach Soup

• Tomato Soup

• Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup

• Cream Of Mushroom Soup with Garlic Bread

• Pepper Rasam

Besan Ladoo

                            

Besan ladoo is a popular Indian sweet made from just 3 basic ingredients, gram flour, powdered sugar and ghee. With a delicious taste and melt-in mouth texture, Besan ladoo is a gluten-free festive treat and a kid-friendly dessert. The ladoos are flavored with green cardamom and have a good shelf life making them an ideal travel food as well. The recipe is very simple and does not call for any sugar syrup formation.

What goes into these melt-in-mouth Besan Ladoos? - The Ingredients:

Besan Ladoo is a traditional Indian sweet. Besan is the Hindi name for Gram flour and Ladoo is a ball shaped sweet treat, so basically Besan ladoo is a ball shaped sweet made using gram flour.

Gram Flour: Some recipes, call for use of coarse Besan which all cannot source. Here i have used the regular fine Besan what we get in any grocery store. Use good quality and fresh pack of gram flour for best results. 

Ghee: If you are looking for the authentic taste, do not cut down on the quantity of ghee used in this recipe. These ladoos get the typical melt-in-mouth texture from the ghee roasted flour. You will thank me for the wonderful aroma your house gets filled with the ghee roasting of the gram flour. Gram flour is roasted in ghee on low flame until it turns aromatic. Use good quality ghee or clarified butter. Homemade ghee is the best.

Powdered Sugar: I have powdered the regular sugar using a grinder jar and used the same in the recipe. Some recipes call for using bura or tagar variety of ground suagar that is coarse in texture. The ghee roasted gram flour is allowed to cooled down before adding powdered sugar to it.

Green Cardamom:  Besan ladoos are flavored using green cardamom powder which compliments very well with Indian desserts. You can grind 4-5 green cardamom pods along with sugar or use around 1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom powder.

Nuts: You may roast few nut chunks while roasting the gram flour towards the end and bind then along with the ladoo mixture or simply garnish the ladoos with nuts or raisins. I have simple pressed one halved cashew onto each ladoo while rolling to make it all the more festive and appealing. You may skip adding the nuts altogether if you wish.  

The resultant mixture is then rolled tightly to make ladoos. If you have used the correct amount of ghee and roasted the flour well, binding the ladoos is not a difficult task at all. In my case, the temperature here was pretty cool and the ghee in the roasted flour solidified wihin a few minutes making the ladoo mixture very dry. In such cases, just run the ladoo mixture (the ghee roasted flour with the powdered sugar) in a grinder jar. This step will generate heat in the mixture melting the ghee and make the mixture moist enough to bind it.

Ghee roasting the gram flour on low flame while stirring continuously stirring it until the flour turns nutty and aromatic is a key in making these melt-in-mouth Besan ladoos and it really tastes your patience. The flour has to be roasted for a good 20-25 minutes on low flame or until you get a strong nutty aroma of the roasted flour. If the flour is not roasted properly, the ladoos will stick to the palate and they will have the raw after taste of gram flour which will ruin the ladoos. Besan ladoos are heavy on calories as a good amount of ghee is used to roast the flour and the ladoos are sweetened with powdered sugar. But one can indulge in such delicacies once in a while. Can't we ? 

Related Event: 

My family favourite was the theme for the 273rd week on our Facebook gourmet group, Foodie Monday Blog Hop, where a bunch of passionate food bloggers share their culinary skills each Monday depending upon a pre-determined theme. Priya VJ who blogs at Sweetspicytasty.com was the hostess for the week and among the two themes she proposed, My family favorite won with maximum votes. As the name suggests, Priya suggested that we share a dish that is loved and always in demand in our respective families. I chose this delectable Besan Ladoo as my contribution towards the theme as this sweet treat is not only my childhood favourite but even Kiran and Chinmay love these ladoos to the core. We do not need any festival or special occasion to relish on this traditional delicacy. I make these ladoos often just to satisfy our sweet cravings. I can recall how these ladoos came to my rescue during my hostel stay. Whether it was our long train journeys or the winter trips, these ladoos always were the preferred snack. Besan ladoos are delicious, nutritious, filling and have good shelf life. Meanwhile do check out Priya's space for healthy and delicious recipes. I have bookmarked many of her authentic South Indian recipes. Puli Inji , a tamarind ginger preserve and Erissery (cooked pumpkin simmered in coconut chili paste and topped with flavorful and aromatic coconut oil tempering) from the Kerala Sadhya Menu. 

Dietary Notes:

• Gluten- Free
• Vegetarian
• Kid- Friendly
• Festive Sweet
• Great Travel Food

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Makes: 12 large or 15 medium sized Besan ladoos

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 2 cups chickpea flour / Besan
• 1 cup powdered sugar ( i have ground 3/4 cup raw sugar)
• 1/2 cup ghee / clarified butter
• 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom powder
• Cashew nuts for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1. Sift the gram flour before roasting it. Heat ghee in a non-stick or heavy bottom wok. Add the sifted flour to it and start stirring the flour to blend it very well with the ghee. Roast the flour on low flame while continuously stirring it to ensure the flour does not burn or catch the bottom of the pan.  

                              

                             

2.  At first the mixture will be lumpy and difficult to stir but as you keep stirring and roasting the flour becomes loose and ghee starts oozing out from the sides. You will get a strong nutty aroma when the flour is roasted perfectly. The flour will also turn golden brown. You require a good arm strength to keep continuously stirring the mixture to ensure it does not stick to bottom. It took me a total of 25 minutes of stirring and roasting. I would not suggest to go by the same time as it will vary with the quantity of ingredients used and the kind of wok used. 

                              

                              

3. You can observe in this pic below that the roasted flour has changed its color and left the sides of the pan. You can also see ghee oozing out from the mixture. Put off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down completely. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder to the roasted and cooled down flour.

                              

                              

4. Mix the powdered sugar very well with the roasted flour and take a handful of flour and bind it tightly to make the ladoos. In my case, the weather here was very cold and the ghee solidified instantly making the mixture dry and difficult to bind. I simply transferred the mixture to grinder jar and pulsed it few times. This step generated heat making the mixture moist as the ghee melted and i could bind the ladoos well. If you make the ladoos in Summer season on the other hand, the mixture might be very moist and the ladoos would not hold their shape and flatten. In such case, bind all the ladoos and allow it to stay for an hour or so and then shape it again. The ladoos will remain firm after the ghee solidifies. Press one cashew on each ladoo while shaping it so that it sticks to the ladoo.

                              

                              

                                  

5. Serve the delicious besan ladoos and enjoy with your loved ones! keep the remaining in an air-tight container. The ladoos remain good at room temperature for 2-3 weeks. 

Recipe Notes:

• Use freshly milled gram flour for best results as old flour may turn bitter.
• Do not cut down on the ghee quantity if looking for authentic taste and texture of the ladoos.
• I have used regular fine variety of gram flour/ Besan which gives melt-in-mouth texture. If you prefer a coarse texture of the ladoo, use the coarse variety of gram flour.
• Some recipes call for use of tagar or bura sugar, i have powdered the regular refined sugar and used it in the recipe.
• Slow ghee roasting the gram flour until it turns nutty and aromatic is the key to good Besan ladoo. Do not become impatient while roasting the flour. I agree it requires patience and lots of arm power to keep continuously stirring the flour while roasting it on low flame, but trust me the end results are worth all the efforts.
• Do not add powdered sugar to the roasted flour while it is hot, as that will melt the sugar and ruin the ladoos.
• You may add cardamom powder to the ladoo mixture at the end or grind 4-5 green cardamom along with sugar and use it instead.
• You may roast few nut chunks while roasting the gram flour towards the end and bind then along with the ladoo mixture or simply garnish the ladoos with nuts or raisins. I have simple pressed one halved cashew onto each ladoo while rolling to make it all the more festive and appealing. You may skip adding the nuts altogether if you wish.
• If while binding your ladoo mixture becomes dry, do not panic, just run the mixture in a food processor or grinder jar. The mixture will become soft and easy to bind.

Would Love To Hear From You !

I hope you would love trying these delectable besan ladoos for yourself. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

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See you soon with yet another healthy creation from my Kitchen. Till then take care and eat right !

Happy Cooking ! 

Happy Eating !

Regards 

Poonam Bachhav

For more festive ladoo recipes do check out the following links from this blog

• Easy Motichoor Ladoos - No-Fry Recipe

• Churma Ladoo

• Kaliche Ladoo

• Besan Suji Ladoo

• Methi Gond Ke Ladoo

• Whole Wheat Flour Ladoo with Edible Gum