Boondhi Laddoo

When I went back to home for summer holidays, I asked my mom is she was still having any use for the boondhi maker. She said that she had no use for it, in fact she was so happy that she could give it to me. Now that I have the boondhi maker, I tried to make some boondhi laddoos since it is one of Mav's favorite and also mine ;).  I using the recipe from Bhavna's kitchen with some slight addition. I like my laddoos with some cumin and black pepper. I used to buy laddoos from a punjabi lady back home at she used to sell these laddoos with melon seeds, cumin and black pepper. I remember now that I ordered laddoos from this lady for my brother's wedding too.

Ingredients

1 cup of besan or chickpea flour
1/2 cup or more water
2 teaspoons melted ghee
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon melon seeds, slightly dry roasted
1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, chopped
some black pepper and cumin (optional)

for the sugar syrup

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water or just enough to cover the surface of the water

Directions

1. Mix besan with ghee in a bow. Gradually add with water until you get a thick pouring consistency.
2. Leave the besan batter aside.
3. Next prepare the sugar syrup. Boil sugar and water until you get a one thread consistency or if you measure it with a sugar thermometer, it should read anywhere between 220º F - 222º F.  Please refer to my post on sugar syrup consistency for indian desserts here.
4. Remove the sugar syrup from the leave it aside.
5. Next heat a pan with cooking oil under medium heat.
6. With the boondhi maker over the hot oil, pour the besan batter into the boondhi maker and gently  shake the boondhi maker. Make sure that the boodhi maker is just above the hot oil. Fry the boondhi and drain them on a kitchen towel. Continue this step with the remaining mixture.
7. Add the fried boondhis to the hot sugar syrup. Add cardamom powder, melon seeds and pistachio nuts. You can also add the black pepper and cumin if using.
8. Leave the boondhis to soak in the syrup for about 20 - 30 minutes. Once the boondhis are warm enough to handle, grease hands with some ghee and shape the boondhis into small balls. 

Note. I had a hard time trying to shape the boondhis, so I roughly shaped the boondhis and then I wrapped the laddoos in a greased plastic sheet and shaped them into smoother balls.