Motichur Laddo

Festivals are about indulgence, and Motichur Laddu is an indulgence that adds a delightful sweetness to our celebrations.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Chana Dal (Bengal Gram)
• 2-4 tbsp Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water for making sugar syrup (Chaasni)
• 4 tbsp Magaj Seeds (Melon Seeds)
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Essence
• 2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Directions:

1. Wash the chana dal (Bengal gram) and soak it in water for 3-4 hours.
2. After soaking, drain the water from the dal and grind it into a smooth paste. Use 2-4 tablespoons of water as needed to make a smooth batter. The batter should have a pouring consistency.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C for 10 minutes.
4. While the air fryer is preheating, pour a spoonful of the chana dal batter into a perforated ladle or boondi jhara (ladle with holes). Tap it to make small boondi droplets.
5. Once the air fryer is preheated, lightly grease the air fryer basket with a little ghee.
6. Place the boondi in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are in a single layer and not overcrowded.
7. Air fry the boondi at 180°C for about 3-4 minutes. Repeat this step until all the boondi is fried.
8. In a separate pan, prepare the sugar syrup (chaasni) by heating 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water. Boil the mixture until it reaches a one-string consistency. You can test the consistency by taking a small amount of syrup between your thumb and forefinger – it should form a single thread.
9. Once the sugar syrup is ready, add the fried boondi into the syrup. Mix them well and let them soak in the syrup for a few minutes.
10. Add 4 tablespoons of magaj seeds (melon seeds) and 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence to the boondi and syrup mixture. Mix everything together.
11. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit. While it is still warm, shape the mixture into small laddus (round balls). Grease your hands with a little ghee to prevent sticking.
12. Continue shaping the laddus until all the mixture is used up, Air fry the laddus at 180°C for about 10 minutes to make them crispy.
13. Let the laddus cool completely before storing in an airtight container and enjoy your homemade Motichur Laddu !

Recipe Credits: _the_kitchen_stories_

Picture Courtesy: Image by rickysoni on freepik