Motichoor Ladoo

I always admire the vibrant orange colour in motichoor ladoo whenever i came across of them in sweet shops. Near my office there is one well known Punjabi sweet shop, selling varieties of sweets, and ladoo is their speciality. Tons of boondis will be prepared every morning for making ladoos. Workers will be shaping the boondis into balls and trays of ladoo are ready for business. I always buy their motichoor ladoo for my gals. The kids just love them and so do i.

When i made my very own motichoor ladoo, the sweets shop's laddoos is what i am aiming for. Their vibrant, melt in mouth and those tiny coarse lumps is what i'm looking forward in my ladoo. Melon seeds is the best partner for motichoor ladoo unfortunately, i don't have them in my pantry thus, i replaced it with sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds lends the crunchiness and nutty texture to the soft ladoo. The crushed cardamom pods used to flavor the sugar syrup compliments the sweetness of this sweetmeat. My ladoo turns out really well and the whole family enjoyed it very much and i just couldn't take my eyes from their gorgeous orange colour and those tiny beads texture.

Ingredients

For Ladoo

1 cup besan/gram/kadalai flour
2 tbsp melon/sunflower seeds
1 cup canola/sunflower oil
Pinch of orange food colouring
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp hot water


For Sugar Syrup

1 cup sugar
Less than a pinch of food colouring
1/2 cup water
2 cardamom pods,crushed


For Garnishing
Few saffron strands
Sliced Almonds


Methods

For Ladoo

In a large.  bowl, sieve flour and baking powder. Add a pinch of orange food colouring and water. Mix till well combined. Sieve the mixture to get a smooth texture without lumps. The batter should be a little thicker like dosa batter.

Heat oil in a pan over a medium flame. Use a perforated ladle (ladle with small holes) and keep the ladle on the top of the oil. Spread the batter with a tablespoon on the ladle and let the batter drops into the oil.

Cook the boondis for 1 minute and spoon out to drain the excess oil with kitchen towel/tissue.

Add the boondis to the sugar syrup and mix well till the boondis well coated with sugar syrup. Add hot water to the boondis and pulse it in the grinder to get a coarse mixture. Transfer to a bowl.

Add melon/sunflower seeds. Apply some oil or ghee on your palm and shape the boondis into balls to make ladoos

Garnish with saffron strands and sliced almonds

For Sugar Syrup

In a pot, heat water with sugar. Stir till sugar dissolved.  Add the cardamom pods and let it boil to get a one thread consistency sugar syrup. Off the flame and add the orange food colouring. Stir to mix.

Sugar syrup is ready

Notes

• You can add few drops of rose water to the sugar syrup for flavouring

• Instead of melon/sunflower seeds, chopped almonds and pistachios can be added

• One string consistency in sugar syrup is, when you take the sugar syrup in your thumb and index finger it should form a one string consistency.

1. Be extra cautious while handling sugar syrup as, it may cause serious burn. 

• Do not grind the boondis too fine. Pulse it once or twice in the grinder to get a coarse little lumps look alike texture.

• The fried boondis should be soft and not crispy. Do not over fry the boondis.