Boondi Ladoo Recipe - Ingredients

Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Makes : 14 ladoos
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian

Besan Flour(Kadalai Maavu) - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup(adjust to get a flowing batter)
Cooking soda - a very tiny pinch(mustard size)
Cloves - 2
Yellow food color - a tiny pinch
Cardamom - 2 powdered
Cloves - 2 powdered
Cashews - 1/2 tbsp broken
Sugar Candy - 15
Raisins - 1/2 tbsp
Edible camphor - a very tiny pinch
Oil - to deep fry

To make the sugar syrup

Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups
Water - 3/4 cup(sugar should be just immersed so adjust accordingly)

Method:

1. In a pan - add a tsp of ghee and fry add cashews fry till slightly browned then add raisins and fry till golden brown,powder cloves and elachi using hand mortar and pestle,keep aside.Sieve besan flour with soda and transfer it to a mixing bowl.Add water little by little to form a thick paste.
   
2. Then add more water to form a flowing batter, then add  yellow color.We need 2 laddles for making boondhi : one for making the boondhis and another for draining them from oil.Here is where we need to be very careful. If the batter consistency is not perfect the balls will not be round and it will have tails.To check if the batter is in correct consistency : First take a spoon and dip the backside of the spoon into batter and hold it on top of the preheated oil. If it drops as perfect rounds then the batter is perfect.Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with the hole holding it just above the oil as shown in the picture. 
3. It will drip down by itself, you can even spread it using the laddle in circular motion(like we make dosa) for quicker process.Turn over to cook on both sides evenly.It should not be crispy just cooked.
   
4. Wipe off the boondi laddle with a cloth for each batch.Alternatively you can wash the boondi laddle and wipe it clean and then start the next batch.Repeat to finish the entire batter.Simultaneously, In a broad vessel first add sugar with water till immersing level and heat it up.Check for single string consistency ie If you take a drop between your thumb and index finger you can see a single string forming as shown below in the 1st thumbnail - thats the right consistency,Set aside.
5. Drain the boondis in a tissue and immediately add it to the prepared warm sugar syrup.Once you add all the boondis add fried cashews,raisins,edible camphor,cardamom powder,cloves powder and sugar candy.Mix it wellWhen its still warm enough to handle with your hands shape them into ladoos.I didnt grease my hands, just squeeze and press tight to shape the ladoos.The syrup and oil will squeeze out while pressing which helps the ladoos becoming moist, but after the sugar crystallises it will become dry.

My Notes:

• It keeps well for a week in room temperature itself.
• If the sugar syrup crystallizes and if the boondis become dry just heat up the syrup for a minute or 2(not more than that)...this is to make the syrup loose then try to shape them it will be easy.
• Always add cashes first while frying then when its fried halfway add raisins and fry till golden brown.
• Batter consistency is very important to get perfect round boondis.So be very careful while adding water.
• When we drop the batter with the back of the spoon and If it drops and forms balls with a tail - then the batter is very thick so add little more water to make it runny. Do the same spoon test. Once the batter is ready take a laddle full of batter and add it to the perforated laddle. Let it fall down by itself else tap it or using the same laddle used for pouring just spread it as shown in the below pic so that it drops down.
• If the batter is watery then the balls may fall flat so add little more besan flour.