Motichoor Laddoo

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Makes around 15 ladoos

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 2 tbsp sooji (semolina flour)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• generous pinch of saffron threads, powdered
• 1/2 cup luke-warm water
• oil & ghee for deep frying
• some ghee
• chopped nuts for garnish

Simple syrup —

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• generous pinch of powdered saffron
• 3 green cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 tsp rose water

Directions:

1. To make simple syrup, add sugar and water into a saucepan. Sprinkle in powdered saffron and cracked cardamom pods. Heat this saucepan to medium and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stream in rose water and gently simmer the simple syrup for a few minutes or until it begins to form a sticky thread. Bring the heat to the lowest temperature to keep the syrup from getting cold.
2. Heat a medium saucepan (karahi) on medium-high. Add enough half oil and half ghee to deep fry boondis.
3. To prepare boondi (tiny chickpea flour balls) batter, sift chickpea flour (besan), sooji, baking soda and powdered saffron into a deep medium bowl. Drizzle in 1/2 cup of luke warm water and whisk the batter until completely smooth.
4. Reduce the temperature for deep frying to medium-low.
5. Using a perforated flat ladle, position it above the hot oil. Using a small ladle, careful pour boondi batter onto the perforated flat ladle. Apply some gently pressure in the circular motion over the batter to release small boondis into hot oil.
6. Fry boondis for a minute. Do not over fry. Remove fried boondis with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil over some paper towels. Transfer drained fried boondis to soak into the hot simple syrup. Continue frying the rest of batter. Continue soaking drained fried boondis into hot simple syrup.
7. Once all boondi’s are fried and done soaking, add soaked boondi’s and remaining hot simple syrup into a blender or food processor. Pulse until desired boondi size is achieved. Do not over-pulse or else it would be impossible to shape them into ladoos. If needed, add 2 tbsp of hot water to help with the blending.
8. To shape laddoo’s, apply some melted ghee onto your palms. Gather about 2 tbsp of motichoor boondis that we just pulsed, and shape it with your palms.
9. Garnish laddoo’s with chopped nuts. Leave at room temperature to dry. Ladoos are best consumed within 2 days. It refrigerates well too, up to one week.