Mamta's Kitchen

Boondi Laddoo Sweet Balls

Boondi Laddoo

Pandeji Mithaivallah in Roorkee

DessertIndianSweetVegetarian

Pictures from a Sweet maker in Roorkee in India

There is no English translation for the word Boondi that will truly describe them. It comes from the word Boond, which means 'a drop'; a round ball like a drop.

Boondies are tiny besan/Bengal gram/chickpea flour pearls, soaked in sugar syrup and mixed with pistachios and fine melon seeds. They are then rolled around in the palm of your hand, pressing and rolling at the same time, until they are bound into balls of various sizes, They can be served as they are, loose Boondies, see last picture, or can be bound into small balls. Sometimes they are called as Motichoor laddoos, the word 'moti' meaning a pearl.

Boondies can be flavoured with green cardamoms or saffron or even rose essence.

Laddoos are made on all special occasions in north India. They are an integral part of wedding sweets given to all the guests. They are distributed after prayer meetings and children are often given one laddoo and some yoghurt, to eat just before the exams, supposedly to bring them good luck. What this actually does is brings their blood sugar level up, because nervous children often skip breakfast/meal before the exams and this increases their blood sugar level and power of concentration!

Boondies can be served as they are, without binding them into laddoos. Just lift them out of the syrup and keep aside to serve when you want, with tea or after dinner. See last picture.

Size can vary. Makes 24 average sized laddoo.

Edited February 2024

Ingredients

  • For Boondi Batter

  • 250 gm besan or Bengal gram flour or chickpea flour

  • 1 pint/500 ml. water to make batter

  • A pinch of baking powder

  • Syrup

  • 350 gm. sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 2 tbsp. milk

  • A few drops of orange/yellow colour

  • To make laddoos

  • 1/2 tsp. green cardamom powder

  • 2-3 tbsp. raw pistachios (not salted ones), blanched and finely chopped*

  • 2-3 tbsp. melon seeds

  • 1/2 litre Ghee or sunflower oil for deep frying boondi**

Instructions

  1. *Soak is warm water for an hour or two and then rub the skin off. To peel large quantities of pistachios, sweet wallahs in India place them on a metal plate placed on charcoal and rub them gently. The skin peels off easily.

  2. **A round spatula perforated with small round holes, also described as a skimmer ladle or Jhari/Jharrai or Jaro in Hindia. When I first came to UK ;in the late 60s, there weren't as many Indian shops as now. I could not find one, so I improvised; yoghurt pots with holes made in their bottom, using a hot skewer. They worked quite well. You can choose the size of skewer to suit the size of boondi you want.

  3. Make a batter of dropping consistency with besan or Bengal gram flour, baking powder and water, beat it will to make it light.

  4. Heat oil in a wok or karahi to a moderate heat. A drop of batter in oil should sizzle and rise to the top, but there should not be any smoke.

  5. Holding the skimmer or spatula with holes about 6 inches from the oil and place a ladle full of batter on top of it. Tap it gently with your other hand, so that the small, round blobs (boondies) fall into the oil. If you tap hard or press with a ladle, you get elongated blobs, rather then round pearls.

  6. Fry until they are a pale gold, but not brown, and crispy. Make all boondies like this and keep aside.

  7. Now make the syrup by heating sugar and water together. If a scum forms, add a little milk, which will bring it all to the surface. Skim it off.

  8. Cook syrup until it is of one wire consistency. Turn heat OFF and add the orange colour or a few strands of saffron. Boondi are a golden yellow colour.

  9. While syrup is cooking, add pistachios, melon seeds and cardamoms to the boondi. Mix well.

  10. Add boondi to the hot syrup and mix well, but gently, so they don't break.

  11. Lift out after about 5 minutes, using a slotted ladle, so that the excess syrup is drained off and left behind.

  12. Keep aside until boondies are cool enough to handle, but not completely cold. they can be served as they are, without making laddoos. See last picture.

  13. Pick up a small ladle or a heaped tablespoon full of boondies in oiled palms and make round laddoos, firming them as you turn them around. Place them on a Thali or a tray.

  14. Once cold, you can decorate them with Gold/Silver film or Varak or very finely shredded pistachios.

  15. If kept in airtight containers, they will last a couple of weeks at room temperature.

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