Motichoor laddoos are like the crown jewel of Indian desserts. They look shiny and regal, with their glossy motis, which are bright orange and the silver varakh on top. They also come in a variety of sizes, attesting to their regality and versatility. These laddoos are exciting to look at and fun to eat. But they’re also very satisfying and easy to make. So go through this thorough guide to learn everything there is to know about making the best motichoor laddoos of your life.
Ingredients:
For the sugar syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- a generous pinch of saffron powder or crushed saffron
For the boondis:
- 1 cup besan
- a generous pinch of saffron powder or crushed saffron
- ¾ cup water
- 3 black cardamoms – seeds removed and the skins discarded
- ½ tablespoon magaz (melon seeds)
- oil for deep frying
- a bit of oil or ghee for applying on the palms while shaping the ladoo
Directions:
- In a pan on medium heat, add the sugar, water and saffron strands. Cook until the sugar has completely melted and the syrup has reached a one string consistency. This essentially means that if you dip your index finger in the syrup and then press your thumb against it and pull your fingers apart, a line of syrup or a thread will form. Once your syrup has this consistency, turn off the heat. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add the besan, crushed saffron and water, making a batter. It should be neither too thin nor too thin, but have a flowing consistency. Please ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Add more or less water, depending on the quality of the besan. The goal is to have a flowy consistency. Set aside.
- In a pan or kadhai, heat oil. You will need two ladles or spoons for the frying process, one of which should be perforated. Place the perforated ladle on top of the oil and pour the batter onto the ladle. Press down so that the batter falls into the oil in small balls. Fry until they are golden brown. Don't over fry and don't make them crisp.
- Then use the other ladle to fish out the boondis. Remove any excess oil and then drop them straight into the sugar syrup, which should still be hot. The boondis will soften in the sugar syrup.
- Add the boondis and syrup to a blender. Also add a spoon of hot water and pulse. Don't overmix. The idea isn’t to get a fine powder, but just a slightly smaller boondi collection. If you think the boondis are crisp, just add more hot water. The boondis will absorb the water and become soft and moist.
- Then add the melon seeds and black cardamom seeds and mix well.
- Spread some oil or ghee on your palms and start shaping the boondis into small spheres. Make sure the mixture is still warm when you're shaping it. Once it becomes cold, the mixture will become firm and it will be harder to shape.
- Garnish the laddoos with varakh or however else you prefer. Serve.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Fry the boondis in medium hot oil. The boondis will absorb the oil and become soggy if it's not hot enough. If it's too hot, the boondis will become crisp and get burnt.
- When you’re transferring the boondis from the frying kadhai to the sugar syrup, the syrup needs to be hot. If it's not, simply reheat it. In case the syrup has crystallised, reheat and add 2 spoons of water.
- When you blend the boondis, be very careful. If you blend it too much it will become a paste. We don't want that. We’re just pulsing a few times so that the boondis break into smaller pieces and are more or less even. You want a finer boondi, not a powder.
- If you fry the boondis in ghee, then avoid refrigerating it. In the fridge, the ghee will solidify and the laddoos will be unpleasant to eat.
- You can easily double or halve the recipe depending on how much you want.
- If you want vegan motichoor laddoos, use an acceptable oil to fry and avoid ghee.
- You can add some food colouring for a stronger colour.