Besan Laddoos, Sweet Dumplings
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 20 laddoos 1x
Description
These sweet dumplings made from gram flour, ghee and sugar are popular during festivals like Deepawali and Krishna Janmashtami and are often served with vanilla custard.
Ingredients
For Besan laddoo
- Gram flour (besan) - 4 cups (960 ml)
- Powdered sugar - 2 cups (480 ml)
- Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 cup (240 ml)
- Cashew nuts (kaju) - 12
- Almonds (badam) - 12
- Green cardamom powder* (elaichi) - 1 tsp
For vanilla custard
- Milk - 200 ml/ 1 cup
- Sugar - 2 tbsp or to taste
- Vanilla custard powder - 1 to 2 tsp or as needed for desired consistency
- Vanilla extract - 3/4 tsp
Instructions
For besan laddoo
- Sieve the besan/ gram flour through a fine sieve, set aside.
- Coarsely grind cashew and almond to small bits/pieces.
- In a kadai/ thick bottom wok type pan melt ghee. Add the sieved besan, cook over very low flame till besan is no longer raw and emits a nice aroma. Keep stirring with a steel spatula. This may take around 15 to 20 mins.
- Add in the cardamom powder, fine chopped cashew and almonds. Stir and take it off heat.
- Let this besan mixture cool for some time till it turns just warm. Then add the powdered sugar and mix well with hands.
- Note – If the besan mixture is too hot, it will turn too moist when sugar is added or if at room temperature, sugar will not melt at all and you will not be able to shape into balls. So let the mixture be just warm
- Shape the mixture into walnut sized balls. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Serve straight out of the box as is or with some chilled or warm eggless vanilla custard!
For vanilla custard
- Mix vanilla custard powder with 2 tbsp milk.
- Put remaining milk to boil. When it comes to a boil add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Taste and adjust sweetness as per taste.
- Add the custard paste while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir and let heat till the mixture thickens i.e. coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla essence. Cool and then refrigerate to chill. Serve chilled custard with besan laddoos or chopped fresh fruits.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 laddoos
- Calories: 260
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Pork Dumplings and Chili Oil Sauce
- How to Wrap Perfect Pork Dumplings
- Good Luck Chinese Seafood Dumplings
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe emphasize adding sugar only when the besan mixture is “just warm”?
The instructions include a specific warning: if the mixture is too hot, it will turn too moist when sugar is added; if it has cooled to room temperature, the sugar won’t melt and you won’t be able to shape the balls. The mixture needs to be just warm so the powdered sugar melts evenly and the dough is pliable enough to roll into walnut-sized laddoos.
How long do you need to cook the besan (gram flour) on the stove?
The recipe calls for cooking the sieved besan in melted ghee (1 cup) over very low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly with a steel spatula until the flour is no longer raw and emits a nice aroma. Rushing this step or using too high a heat will result in unevenly cooked or burnt flour that affects the final flavor. 
What is the vanilla custard served alongside for, and is it optional?
The recipe includes a full vanilla custard made from milk, sugar, custard powder, and vanilla extract, described as an optional pairing. The instructions say to serve the laddoos straight out of the box as-is or with chilled or warm eggless vanilla custard — it adds a cool, creamy contrast to the rich, dense gram-flour sweets.
