For alphabet ‘L’, in this A-Z Challenge, Journey Through Telangana Cuisine, I could not come up with anything other than Laddu. For me laddu is always boondhi laddu and I am not a fan of boondi laddu. Had I prepared my complete list before going to India in December, I would have asked my mother to prepare laddu for the blog. I did not realize coming up with a dish starting with L would be so difficult.
I asked my mom if there is any other laddu that we make in Telangana other than boondi laddu. She then mention about senaga pindi laddu. She said we don’t make these laddu but has seen some people prepare laddu with senaga pindi. I followed up with my cousin A and she too concurred with my mother. Cousin A said some people shape it into a laddu and some spread it in a plate and cut it into a burfi or squares.
I was actually surprised to know senaga pindi laddu is a Telangana preparation as well, as I never tasted and seen it being served by any of my friends and family. I always thought senagapindi or besan laddu is a North Indian Sweet.
Preparation of senaga pindi laddu is lot easier than the traditional classic boondi laddu that is also prepared with senagapindi. Senagapindi ~ gram flour ~ besan flour is roasted in ghee (clarified butter), mixed with sugar and cardamom powder, and then shaped into round balls. The day I made these laddu, I met couple of my friends for lunch. In fact, I prepared them on that day as I could share the laddu with them. They liked and even Mr. U liked the laddu.
I could not think of any produce and food starting with 'L'.
Spices:
Lavangam - Cloves
Total Time: 20- 30 minutes (excludes cooling time)
Preparation: 10- 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 20 (depends on the size of the laddu))
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Gram Flour ~ Besan
- 8-10 Cashews
- 1 cup (16 tbsp) Ghee ~ Clarified Butter
- 1 ¾ - 2 cups Sugar (I used less than 2 cups)
- ¾ tsp. Cardamom Seeds
Preparation
- Break cashews into small pieces.
- Heat 10-12 tbsp, about ¾ cup ghee in a nonstick pan and fry the cashews into golden brown. Remove from ghee and keep aside.
- In the same pan, fry gram flour on medium flame until flour is light brown. Keep stirring for even and lump free flour. This will take at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer flour to a big bowl or plate.
- To this add cashews, cardamom powder and sugar. Add 1 ¾ cup sugar and mix well until it blends well into the flour. Taste the flour mixture and add more sugar if required. Add sugar when the flour is still hot. Let the mixture cool.
- When the mixture is cool and easy to handle with hand, try to make small lime size balls. If flour mixture can not be shaped into a ball, add remaining ghee and mix well. Then shape into round balls or laddu.
- Store them in an airtight container.
Note:
- I used 1 cup felt I could have used 2 tablespoon less. Add the remaining ghee as required, when shaping the laddu.
- I used about 10 cashews but more can be add. Make sure the cashew pieces are very small.
- I used less than 2 cups of sugar and add less or more depending on one's preference. The sugar we get in the US is almost like coarse powder. I did not powder the sugar but if one wishes, they can powder the sugar before mixing it with flour. You can see some powdery white specs on some of the laddu, especially in the first image. Those white specs are specs of sugar.
So far in this A-Z Journey Through Telangana Cuisine,
A for Attu Tunukala Koora
B for Biyyapattlu
C for Chegodi
D for Dondakaya Barada
E for Ellipaya Karam
F for Fenugreek (Menthi) Aaku Pesaru Pappu Koora
G for Garela Pulusu
H for Hyacinth Beans (Anapakaya) Annam
I for Iguru, Goru Chikkudukaya Iguru
J for Jonna Rotte
K for Kudumulu
ruchi indu says
I also like besan ladoos. Beautiful pics...
Padma Rekha says
Usha what a beautiful picture and texture of the laddus amazing ...
Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says
has such a smooth texture - all the ghee must give it an awesome flavor as well as texture
Vaishali Sabnani says
Now these are perfect beauties, so well made and so well clicked. The ladoos are tempting me, the besan ones being one of the top rankers in my list of favorites.
Kalyani says
I had ladoos too made, but they got gobbled up 😀 these besan ladoos look so well made..
hope u wud be posting sunnundalu when we get to Alphabet S :-)))
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Besan laddus are definitely easier to make than the boondi laddus. You have shaped them so smooth and perfect. The pictures are coming right at me asking me to pick them up 🙂
Smruti | Herbivore Cucina says
I love besan ladoos and yours look so perfect. I loved the way you made them perfectly round and all your shots have come out so good!!
harini says
Sinful laddus captured beautifully.
srividhya says
Perfect size and looks very inviting. yum
Nalini says
Those ladoos are perfectly shaped Usha.The clicks are so gorgeous..
Priya Suresh says
Those besan laddus looks prefect and delicious to enjoy without any guilt.
cookingwithsapana says
Besan ladoo are my avorite and I can eat three or four at a time.They looks so sinful Usha.
Suma Gandlur says
I love them, Usha and they look so inviting thru your lens. Ladd us in every frame are looking gorgeous.
I don't make them regularly but my sister (who lives close by my mother and from whom I learnt the recipe in the first place) learnt the recipe from my blog and makes it regularly. ☺
Pavani says
Good pick for L Usha. I don't think there are any food related words that start with L. Senagapindi laddoo from Telangana/ Andhra is new to me, like you I always thought it was a North Indian export. Good to know it is local to even us 🙂 Laddoos look sooo yummy!!
Srivalli says
Beautiful Laddu Usha..love how nicely you have packed it in a ball..:)
Gayathri Kumar says
We too make ladoo with besan and ghee. Yours have turned out into perfect ladoos...
Amara says
Laddoos look perfectly shaped and delicious Usha:)