Tag: Indian festivals

Dessert

Boondi Laddoo – A Sweet Circle of Celebration and Nostalgia

Puspa

Sweet Memories of Diwali Evenings

If there’s one sweet that embodies the joy, chaos, and warmth of Indian festivals, it’s the Boondi Laddoo.
For me, its story begins in the heart of our family kitchen where laughter mingled with the sound of bubbling sugar syrup and the rhythmic tap-tap of the ladle as tiny golden boondis rained into hot ghee.

Every Diwali, my grandmother would take charge of the sweet-making marathon. The house turned into a miniature sweet factory trays lined with ladoos, besan aroma floating through the air, and me stealing half-made boondis when she wasn’t looking.
When she finally rolled the warm boondis into perfect spheres, her hands worked like art precise, practiced, full of love.

The laddoos glistened like marigold orbs, fragrant with cardamom and saffron, and no store-bought sweet could ever match their warmth. For us, Boondi Laddoo wasn’t just dessert; it was the taste of family, devotion, and celebration.

About This Recipe

Boondi Laddoo (also called Motichoor Ladoo when made with finer boondi) is one of India’s most loved festive sweets.
It’s made by frying tiny gram flour pearls (boondis), soaking them in aromatic sugar syrup, and shaping them into soft, golden laddoos.

Every region adds its twist from the coarse-textured Temple-style Laddoo of South India to the delicate Motichoor version of North India — but the essence remains the same: warmth, sweetness, and tradition in every bite.

Recipe Details

Servings: 12–15 laddoos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Setting Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Boondi

1 cup gram flour (besan), sifted

½ cup water (approx., to make smooth batter)

A pinch of baking soda (optional, for puffier boondi)

Ghee or oil, for deep frying


For the Sugar Syrup

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

3–4 cardamom pods, crushed

5–6 saffron strands (optional, for festive aroma and color)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (to prevent crystallization)


For Flavor and Garnish

1 tablespoon ghee

2 tablespoons chopped cashews and raisins (lightly fried in ghee)

1–2 drops orange or yellow food color (optional, for festive hue)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Batter

In a large bowl, sift gram flour and add water gradually.
Whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free batter with a flowing consistency neither too thick nor runny.
Add a pinch of baking soda and whisk once more.
(Tip: The consistency should be similar to pancake batter it should fall in droplets when poured through a slotted spoon.)

2. Fry the Boondi

Heat ghee or oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
Hold a perforated ladle (boondi jhara) over the pan.
Pour a ladleful of batter over it and gently tap the edge so small droplets fall evenly into the oil.

Fry the boondis for 30–40 seconds, until they puff up slightly but remain soft not crisp.
Remove with another slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Repeat for remaining batter.
(Tip: Do not over-fry we need soft boondis so they can absorb the syrup later.)

3. Prepare the Sugar Syrup

In another pan, combine sugar and water.
Boil until you reach a one-thread consistency when a drop pressed between your fingers forms a thin thread.
Add cardamom, saffron, and lemon juice.
Turn off the heat once syrup slightly thickens.

4. Combine Boondi and Syrup

Add the fried boondi directly into the warm syrup.
Mix gently until all boondis are well coated.
Add fried cashews and raisins.
Cover and let the mixture rest for 10–15 minutes so the boondis absorb the syrup.



5. Shape the Laddoos

Once the mixture cools slightly (it should be warm, not hot), grease your palms with ghee.
Take a handful of mixture and gently press it into a round ball.
If the mixture feels too loose, cook it for 2–3 more minutes to thicken before shaping.

Place the laddoos on a plate and allow them to set completely.

Expert Tips for Perfect Laddoos

Consistency of batter: The key to perfect boondi lies in the batter smooth, free-flowing, and lump-free.

Temperature of oil: Medium heat works best. Too hot, and the boondis will become hard; too cold, and they’ll absorb oil.

Syrup stage: One-thread consistency is ideal. Over-thick syrup will make the boondis dry; too thin will make laddoos sticky.

Softness factor: Don’t fry boondis too long soft, porous ones make melt-in-mouth laddoos.

Flavor magic: A pinch of cardamom, ghee-fried cashews, and a few saffron strands bring divine aroma especially when offered as prasad.

Storage: Store laddoos in an airtight box at room temperature for up to a week.

Serving Suggestions

Offer warm Boondi Laddoos as prasad during Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, or weddings.

Pair with Coconut Burfi or Rava Ladoo for a perfect festive sweet platter.

Wrap them in decorative foil or paper cups for gifting.

Closing Note

The process of making Boondi Laddoo is like crafting joy slow, rhythmic, and full of meaning.
Each tiny boondi represents a drop of sweetness, and when bound together, they form something whole much like family during festivals.

When I make laddoos now, I remember my grandmother’s voice  “Keep your patience, beta. Syrup listens to love, not hurry.”
And truly, when stirred with love, these humble gram flour pearls turn into golden spheres of happiness.

So this Diwali, light your diyas, let the aroma of cardamom fill your kitchen, and roll a few laddoos with your own hands.
Because some sweetness is best when made  and shared from the heart. ✨

Dessert

Saffron Khoya Milk Pedas – A Nostalgic Janmashtami Sweet

Puspa

Each August, as the monsoon brings cooler evenings, our home lights up in anticipation of Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth. The festival is marked by fasting through the day and jubilant puja at midnight. We decorate the puja room with diyas, rangoli designs, and peacock feathers (symbols of Krishna), waiting eagerly to break the fast with a special bhog of sweets.  In my childhood memories, the most magical part of Janmashtami night was the kitchen filled with the aroma of milk, cardamom, and saffron. My mother would gently simmer khoya (reduced milk solids) with sugar, cardamom and saffron, chanting childhood prayers, as we peeped into the pot, mouths watering for the first bite of warm pedas.

  The saffron-hued pedas on a traditional brass plate, dotted with bright green pistachios and lit by oil lamps, capture the golden glow of Janmashtami celebrations. Pedas like these are more than sweets; they are offerings to the child-god. It is believed that Krishna loved milk sweets, and one legend explains how peda was “born”: Krishna’s mother Yashoda accidentally left a pan of boiling milk on too long, then mixed in sugar to salvage it, creating the first peda. Krishna loved it so much that offering peda to him became tradition in Mathura (his birthplace). Indeed, Mathura’s famous Mathura pedas are a Janmashtami specialty. In fact, tradition holds that preparing and offering sweets like pedas to Lord Krishna brings prosperity and happiness.

Drawing on these memories, we make kesar (saffron) khoya pedas each Janmashtami. A few saffron strands steeped in warm milk lend the pedas their rich golden hue and delicate aroma – an apt nod to the “kesari” color often associated with sacred Hindu festivities. As Sharmili’s Kitchen notes, the traditional recipe uses khoya, sugar, saffron, and cardamom to evoke Krishna’s favorite flavors. Crumbled with love and shaped by hand, these sweet milk pedas are soft, melt-in-the-mouth, and crowned with slivers of pistachio for crunch and color.

Ingredients

1 cup (about 200 g) khoya (mawa), grated (use fresh or store-bought evaporated milk solids)

1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

A pinch of saffron strands (5–6 strands), soaked in 1–2 tablespoons warm milk for color and aroma

2–3 tablespoons whole milk (to help mix/soften)

1–2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), optional (for richness and to prevent sticking)

Chopped pistachios (or slivered almonds) for garnish


Instructions

1. Prepare saffron milk: Soak the saffron strands in warm milk for 10–15 minutes to release color and flavor. This will tint the pedas a golden hue.


2. Cook khoya mixture: In a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat, crumble the grated khoya and add sugar and cardamom. Stir gently to combine. (Pro tip: cook on very low heat so the khoya doesn’t brown too much.) Add the saffron-infused milk and ghee. Stir continuously. You’ll first see the sugar melt and the mixture become moist, then slowly thickening. Keep stirring to prevent sticking or burning. Continue cooking until the mixture turns into a soft, pliable dough and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. This step can take several minutes but is key for smooth pedas.


3. Cool and knead: Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool slightly until it’s warm enough to handle. If it feels too sticky, you can stir in a little more warm milk or ghee. Once warm (but not hot), knead the khoya mixture with a spatula or lightly with your hands until smooth. It should hold together without crumbling.


4. Shape the pedas: Divide the mixture into small portions (about 12 for medium pedas). Roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball, then flatten slightly into a thick disc. You can use a traditional peda mold or simply press a fork or the back of a spoon to make a pattern on top. Garnish each peda by gently pressing a few slivered pistachios or almonds onto the surface.


5. Finish and serve: Arrange the pedas on a decorative plate. They will firm up as they cool. You can serve them immediately (still soft and warm) or refrigerate for a couple of hours to set. The pedas keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature, but they’re at their creamiest on the first day.



“With these tender saffron-khoya pedas, each bite feels like a blessing passed down from childhood,” I remember thinking with every Janmashtami. The warm golden sweets symbolize the joy and devotion of the festival. Serving them on a brass thali with lit diyas and maybe a peacock feather nearby brings the story of Krishna’s playful, sweet-loving youth right into our home each year. Enjoy this peda recipe as a festive offering or simply a nostalgic treat that connects us to the pure sweetness of Lord Krishna’s teachings.