Uraddal Laddu

Sweet Balls

Laddus are an integral part of festive or religious offerings made to deities during Hindu festivals.

Introduction

About this Recipe

Laddu or ladoo is derived from the Sanskrit word “laduka” and is one of the most ancient and widely known sweets of the Indian subcontinent. This sphere-shaped sweet is primarily made from flour, fried in ghee/butter/oil and mixed with palm jaggery or sugar.

Laddus are made of gram rice, wheat, semolina (rava) flour. For added flavor chopped nuts, dried raisins and cardamom are also added. The type of ingredients used will vary by recipe.

Some laddu recipes are prepared using Ayurvedic medicinal ingredients, such as fenugreek or methi laddu, multigrain, and edible gum or resin laddu. Laddus of nuts and seeds such as sesame seeds and dried fruits are also highly sought after as a rich source of nutrients for the body. Laddus are an integral part of festive or religious offerings made to deities during Hindu festivals.

Dals or Lentils are any split pulses (legumes). Pulses are the dry, edible seed of a pod. They include beans, lentils, peas, and other little seeds that grow inside pods. These pulses are typically offered in three different ways: whole, split with the skin on, or split with the skin removed. A split legume is referred to as dal in Indian cuisine.

Urad Dal or black gram lentils are about the same size as the mung bean which is the most popular pulse consumed the world over. They’re rich in protein, fat, and carbohydrates. When used whole, it has a distinctly stronger flavor than the split and skinned variety. Black gram is a harder lentil, so it takes a little longer to cook.

Split black gram is when the whole black gram is split and the skin is left on. When split, the black lentil has a white interior. Rich in fiber, it can help improve digestion, which also partners with magnesium and potassium to aid in a healthy heart.

Urad dal is widely used in India for a huge variety of dosas, idlis, vadas and papadums, which forms an integral part of South India snacks. It is widely mentioned in the recipes of the Bhaga Shastra, the world’s most ancient cookbook.

Here, we have a recipe rarely known – Urad Dal Laddu.

The ingredients and procedures explained here are taken from Bhaga Shastra directly, along with nutritional values and additional tips.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings : 15-20 servings
Course: Sweet/Dessert
Cuisine : Tamilian cuisine

Ingredients

Ghee – 420gms ( 12 palam )
Urad dal flour – 750gms ( ½ padi)
Milk – 187.5gms (1/8 padi)
Jaggery powder – 840gms (24 palam)
De-skinned almonds – 87.5gms (2½ palam )
Rock sugar – 87.5gms (2½ palam)
Cardamom powder – 8.75gms ( ¼ palam)

Cooking Method

Soak the almond in water for about an hour and then peel the skin off it.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Stir Urad dal flour into the ghee.
When it is fried well you will get a pleasant aroma of the flour
Then, sprinkle milk little by little, into the flour and continue frying.
Since the milk is sprinkled into the urad dal flour when frying, the flour will become soft and fluffy and it will fill the vessel.
Then, remove from the stove and add brown sugar, fried de-skinned almonds, cardamom powder and powdered rock sugar into the Urad dal flour mixture.
Make balls (laddus) out of this mixture.
Serve laddus in a bowl or plate and offer it as naivedyam to Swamiji or your favorite deity.
Food cooked as per the Bhaga Shastra will enhance our health and well being, ultimately leading to enlightenment itself.
Note: You can use freshly grated coconut (350 gms) instead of dry coconut for this recipe. Roast it until it becomes light brown and add to the rice.