Gram Flour Besan Ka Laddoo

Besan ka laddoo—also known as besan ke laddoo, laddu, and avinsh—is an Indian confection made for several special occasions and festivals. With a wonderfully doughy texture and light cardamom flavor, these sweet balls are served at weddings and street fairs alike. Made with a few simple ingredients, the besan ka laddoo gets its name from besan or "gram flour" and from laddoo, which hails from the Sanscrit "laḍḍuka" and denotes sweet preparations. These golf ball-sized treats are great as desserts, but also delicious with a cup of spiced tea or coffee. If you're looking for an alternative to your usual desserts, this recipe is easy to make, mouthwatering, and doesn't require a lot of technical skills. Simply mix, brown the flour patiently, and form the balls. Our recipe is the basic laddoo, but many other variations have dried fruits, nuts, and seeds as delicious additions for texture and flavor. If you feel like adding a few of these ingredients, try a handful of chopped roasted cashews or pistachios right at the end of mixing and before cooling the dough.

The trick to the perfect laddoo lies in the flour. Besan is available online but most likely Indian and Middle Eastern markets might carry it. Made from chan dal or split brown chickpeas, besan is not the same as garbanzo flour, which won't yield the same results for this recipe. Although they have a similar appearance and flavor, the garbanzo product is a little more bitter. Besan is finer; garbanzo flour is coarser. For this recipe, you need to be very patient. When browning the flour, you need 20 minutes or more of active cooking and stirring to avoid it burning. Your other ingredient is ghee, or clarified butter, which is not the same as melted butter. Ghee is widely available in most supermarkets, but choose the plain version, as many have added salt. Ghee comes from simmering full-fat butter until all the milk solids, whey, and casein can be removed, leaving behind a clear product that has a slightly nutty flavor. Ghee is the foundation of Indian cooking and is a wonderful addition to your pantry as it's wonderful to cook with and makes delicious sweet and savory meals.

Serve the laddoo on your next special occasion, or present it if celebrating Diwali, as it is a very traditional sweet to eat during these festivities.