Try me from Recipe Basket.......: Motichur laddu

Description:
Laddu are sweets that are often served during festivals or religious occasions. They are mainly prepared with flour, sugar and other flavours.

Ingredients:
1. Besan/gramflour - 2cups
2. Rava/semolina- 2tspns
3. Food color- red or orange
4. Cashew nuts
5. Almonds
6. Saffron
7. Cinnamon powder
8. Sugar - 1/2 to 1 cup(depends on the sweetness you prefer)
9. Oil for deep frying
10. Ghee - 2tspn

Procedure:
Preparation of boondi:
Take a bowl, add the besan and rava. Incase the rava you are using is coarse powder then its preferable to make it into fine powder by grinding in the blender once or twice. Add some water to make a batter but don`t add too much of water and make the batter very runny. We will be using a perforated spoon so the batter should be able to pass through the holes. Finally add the food color(red or orange) and mix well. Set aside the batter.

Preparation of sugar syrup:
Take a pan and pour 1/2 to 1 cup of water in it. Add sugar to it and mix well. Allow the water to boil of high flame. Once it starts to boil reduce the flame to low and let the syrup thicken slowly. The consistency shouldn`t be too thick or too thin. When you take out the spoon after dipping in the syrup the last drop must form a string and thats the correct consistency. Turn off the stove and add saffron, cinnamon powder. Let it to cool down a bit.

Preparation of Motichur laddus:
Take a wok and pour oil for deep frying. Heat the oil properly and you can see bubbles forming. Hold the perforated spoon on top of the wok and with another laddle pour the batter on top of the perforated spoon. The batter will drop down through the holes and form boondis. Incase some boondi stick together or forms tails thats completely fine. Repeat the same with the remaining batter. Take out the boondis when they are cooked and slightly soft. Don`t overcook till they become crispy. Place the boondi on tissue paper and allow them to cool down.

Cut the almonds and cashews into small pieces. To remove the skin of almond just soak it in hot water for 10minutes. Add this nuts into the boondi. When the boondi have cooled down transfer them into a blender. Add the sugar syrup. Sugar syrup should be slightly warm. Blend everything once or twice and shift to a bowl.

Finally its time to make the motichur laddu :). Take the ghee in a separate bowl. Rub your hands with the ghee and take small portions of the boondi mix onto your hands and slowly shape them into balls. Repeat the same for the remaining mix.