Boondi Ladoo - Traditional Indian sweet

A traditional Indian sweet delicately flavoured with saffron and cardamom .

Ingredients:

For batter:

8 oz /240 grams Chick pea flour

1 tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter) for batter

1/2 -2/3 cups water approx

Pinch orange food colouring ( optional)

For sugar syrup

8 oz / 240 grams sugar

3/4 cup water

1 pinch saffron

1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom powder

Pinch orange food colouring ( optional)

Other Ingredients:

1.5  tablespoons melted ghee (clarified butter) for final garnish

Oil for frying

15 almonds cut into slivers

10 almonds blanched and skin removed

2-3 drops red food colouring for colouring almonds

Method:

For the sugar syrup:

1. In a pan add the1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water, mix and bring to boil.

2. Add the saffron, cardamom powder and pinch of food colouring.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup until all the sugar is melted and sugar syrup reaches ½ thread consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.

 How to make boondi:

1. Sieve the chickpea flour to remove lumps and add a pinch of food colouring.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of melted ghee and make a thick batter using the ½ cup water.( batter should be dropping consistency so adjust by adding more water as required)

3. Keep aside

4. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.

5. Hold the sieve about 2 inches from the oil. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour small amounts on to the sieve with small round holes.

6.Allow the batter  to drop to form small round pearl sized balls.(If you find batter is dropping too quickly forming long strings, batter is too runny add more flour to the batter, on the other hand if batter is not dropping than its too thick so add a little more water to batter.

7. Fry these pearl sized balls in small batches. As soon as they are crisp remove them from the oil drain and add to the warm sugar syrup.

8. Repeat the procedure till all the batter is used up.

9. To make the red colour almonds, blanch the almonds by adding them to boiling water and leave for 5 mins. Remove the almonds from water and skin will slide off. Split the almonds in to halves and than quarters.

10. Add the blanched almond quarters to a zip lock bag, add 2-3 colours red food colouring, toss to coat the almonds to colour them red. Transfer them  to a sheet of  kitchen paper to dry.

11. Mix the boondi into the sugar syrup, coating evenly and leave for ½-1 hour for the syrup to penetrate the boondis.

12. After 1 hour add 1 tablespoon melted ghee to the boondis, add the almond slivers and mix well.

13. Pinch small walnut sized balls from the boondi and roll them into round balls, garnish with red coloured almonds and place them onto a serving tray.

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