RAG Demo

Tag: Prasad

  • Besan Ladoo

    Besan ladoo is one of the most widely made Indian sweets, offered as prasad, packed in Diwali boxes and sent to children living away from home. Grandmothers in north and west India often judge a cook by it, because the whole dish depends on patience: the besan must be roasted slowly in ghee until it changes colour and smell completely.

    Properly made, the ladoo is grainy yet melts in the mouth, with a deep, nutty, toasty flavour and the warmth of cardamom. Coarse besan or a little semolina gives the characteristic texture. Underroasted besan tastes raw and sticks to the palate, which is why there are no shortcuts here. Slow, steady heat matters more than any particular recipe.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineNorth Indian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves8
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbesan (gram flour) / ghee / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups coarse besan (laddu besan), about 200 g
    • 1/2 cup ghee (about 110 g), plus 1-2 tbsp if needed
    • 3/4 cup powdered sugar or bura (about 120 g)
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 2 tbsp chopped almonds and pistachios
    • 1 tbsp milk (optional)

    Method

    1. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed kadhai on low heat. Add the besan and stir to combine; it will look like wet sand.
    2. Roast on low heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom, for 20-25 minutes. The besan will first look lumpy, then turn smooth and loose as it releases ghee.
    3. Keep roasting until it turns a deep golden colour and smells nutty and aromatic. If it looks dry at any point, add 1 tbsp more ghee.
    4. For a softer, grainier texture, sprinkle 1 tbsp milk over the besan at this stage; it will froth. Stir until the froth subsides, about 1 minute.
    5. Turn off the heat, add the chopped nuts and cardamom powder, and transfer the mixture to a plate. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes until warm but comfortable to touch.
    6. Add the powdered sugar and mix thoroughly with your hand.
    7. Take a portion and press it firmly in your palm, then roll into a smooth ball. Make about 16 ladoos and leave them to set for an hour before storing.

    Tips

    • Never add the sugar while the mixture is hot – it melts and the ladoos turn flat and sticky.
    • If the ladoos will not bind, warm a spoon of ghee and mix it in.
    • Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

    Serve with

    On its own, or as part of a Diwali sweet platter.

  • Thekua

    Thekua is inseparable from Chhath Puja, the Bihari festival in which devotees offer prayers to the setting and rising sun from riverbanks and ponds. Families make huge batches in the days before, and the cookies go into the bamboo soop baskets as the main offering. Afterwards they are shared with neighbours and posted to relatives across the country.

    The dough is plain atta bound with melted jaggery and ghee, flavoured with fennel seeds, cardamom and grated dried coconut. Each piece is pressed onto a carved wooden sancha so it carries a pattern, then fried slowly until deep brown. Good thekua is hard and crunchy outside, lightly crumbly inside, and keeps for weeks in an airtight tin.

    At a glance

    RegionBihar
    CuisineBihari
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves8
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole wheat flour / jaggery / ghee / coconut

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour (about 250 g)
    • 3/4 cup grated jaggery (about 150 g)
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 4 tbsp ghee, melted
    • 3 tbsp desiccated or grated dry coconut
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • 1 tbsp chopped dry fruits (optional)
    • Ghee or oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Warm the jaggery with 1/2 cup water on low heat, stirring, just until it melts completely. Do not boil it into a syrup. Strain and let it cool until lukewarm.
    2. In a bowl mix the atta, coconut, fennel, cardamom and dry fruits. Add the melted ghee and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it holds together when pressed in a fist.
    3. Add the jaggery water a little at a time and knead into a stiff, tight dough – stiffer than chapati dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
    4. Pinch off lime-sized balls, flatten each slightly, and press firmly onto a greased thekua mould or the back of a fork to make a pattern. The pieces should be about 5 mm thick.
    5. Heat ghee or oil in a kadhai on medium heat. Test with a pinch of dough; it should rise slowly with small bubbles, not sizzle violently.
    6. Fry 5-6 thekuas at a time on medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes, turning once, until they are deep reddish-brown on both sides.
    7. Drain on a rack and let them cool completely – they crisp up as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

    Tips

    • Fry slowly; on high heat the outside darkens while the centre stays raw and soft.
    • A soft dough makes thekua spread and lose its pattern – keep it stiff.
    • For a lighter version, bake at 180 C for 20-25 minutes, though the texture will be more like a biscuit.

    Serve with

    With tea, or as prasad after Chhath Puja.