10 Day Durga Puja and Navratri Sweets Special: Sweet Ladoo Recipes

Welcome to another installment of the Navratri and Durga Puja special where we delve into Navratri desserts perfect for the 10 days of the festive season. This article covers ladoos and if you're looking for ideas as to what could be the Navratri Prasad for Nine Days, here's your clue. The recipes below are simple and perfect to serve as prasad or just enjoy during the festival. Try the ladoo recipes for gifting, and serving to guests or just for your family to enjoy.

1. Chaulai or Rajgira Ladoos

Ingredients

- 240 gm amaranth seeds

- 240 gm jaggery, chopped

- 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Place a kadhai on the stove and heat. Test the temperature by adding a little amaranth seeds. Dry roast until they start popping. If this batch doesn't pop, wait for the kadhai to reach the right temperature. Continue testing with small amounts until they pop redily.
2. Once the first batch pops, remove from the kadhai. Add 1 tablespoon of the amaranth seeds at a time, stirring continuously until they pop.
3. Repeat with the rest of the seeds, until all used up.
4. Pass the popped seeds through a fine-mesh metal strainer to remove any unpopped grains.
5. In the same kadhai, mix the jaggery with water. Heat it over medium-low flame, stirring until it melts into a smooth syrup.
6. Pour the jaggery syrup over the amaranth seeds and mix thoroughly.
7. Moisten your palms with water and take small portions of the mixture and shape them into round balls, rewetting your palms before forming each ladoo to prevent sticking.
8. Allow the ladoos to cool before serving or storing them away for later.

2. Motichoor Ladoo

Ingredients

- 120 gm besan, coarse

- ¼ tsp orange food color

- 45 ml milk

- Pinch of salt

- Oil or ghee for frying

- 12 pistachios

- 180 gm sugar

- 240 ml water

- 1 cardamom pod, ground

- 1 tsp rose water

- ½ tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Mix besan and salt in a bowl, whisking thoroughly, then add the milk, food coloring, and enough water to create a thick batter that is pourable.
2. Heat a shallow and deep pan with enough oil or ghee for frying.
3. Place a sturdy, tall container near the pan, ensuring it doesn't touch the flame or the pan itself. Cover the top of the container with a folded kitchen towel.
4. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low or medium. Hold a boondi ladle at an angle above the oil, with the handle resting on the covered container.
5. Pour the batter evenly across the ladle's surface. Quickly tap the ladle's handle against the container to sprinkle the batter into the oil.
6. When the bubbling subsides and the boondis are visible, use a meshed ladle to remove them from the oil. Be careful not to overcook, as this will make them difficult to shape.
7. Drain the boondis on paper towels and repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
8. For the sugar syrup, add sugar and water in a pot and boil until it reaches a one-string consistency – the syrup will form a single thread between your thumb and forefinger.
9. Remove the syrup from heat and add lemon juice, ground cardamom, and rose essence.
10. While the syrup is still warm, add the prepared boondis. Mix well and cover for at least 20 minutes or until the syrup is fully absorbed.
11. Finely chop the pistachios and fry them in a little ghee. Add to the soaked boondis and mix.
12. Grease your hands with ghee. Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into ladoos. Arrange on a serving platter.

3. Besan Ladoo

Ingredients

- 60 gm besan

- 60 gm powdered sugar

- 55 gm ghee (1 tbsp set aside)

- 2 cardamom pods

- To garnish: choice of nuts, optional

Instructions

1. Dry roast the besan over medium heat in a kadhai until it’s a deep golden brown color and releases an aroma.
2. Remove from heat and let it cool, then sieve the besan to remove any lumps.
3. Mix powdered sugar with the ground cardamom seeds in a bowl. Then add this to the besan.
4. Melt ghee in a pan, until it’s liquid but not too hot and pour it over the besan-sugar mixture.
5. Mix thoroughly using a spoon and once cool enough, begin shaping the ladoos.
6. Take small portions of the mixture and roll them tightly between your palms to form smooth, round balls. You can also press a few chopped nuts onto the surface of each ladoo if using.
7. Let the ladoos cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.