Laddu

Laddu is a sweet, much in demand, confection in South Asian cuisine, with everything traditional and festive going on within the diminutive-hearted sweetmeat. Native to the Indian subcontinent, laddus are usually made out of their base elements such as gram flour (besan), semolina (suji), or even ground nuts, each one promising a different culinary taste and experience. Laddu is made by roasting the base ingredient in ghee or clarified butter until it reaches a rich golden-brown colour, after which sugar and aromatic spices such as cardamom are mixed with it to give it a warm, inviting fragrance. Once the mixture acquires the perfect consistency, the mixture is cooled and then shaped into small, round balls. Laddu breaks with a crumbly and tender texture in your mouth with an explosion of sweetness. To enhance the flavour and look of laddu, it may be garnished with slivers of almonds or cashews, or even sprinkled with edible silver leaf called vark. Laddu is not only a delicacy to be relished but contains a lot of cultural importance, too. It is prepared on festivals like Diwali and weddings or any occasion when people rejoice in their good luck. Each region adds its own snitch to laddu with the available ingredients and flavours, but the essence remains the same: to state that it is sweet and auspicious. Consumed alone for indulgence or shared with family and friends, laddu conveys a taste of tradition combined with elegance. Rich in its flavour and high on handling delicacy, it's turned out to be a personal favourite sweet dish that draws huge appeal even in present times to families and households. Let's explore the Laddu recipe.