470. 0ats and nuts laddoos

Happy Makar Sankranti

                “Til-gul ghya ani gud gud bola“, which translates to ‘eat these sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words’.
 A festival that bonds all communities and encourages us to love all.    Makar Sankranti is the only festival in India which is based on the solar calendar and not the lunar one. That means it falls on 14th January every year and sometimes on 15th. This is another festival celebrated by all in India, just the names vary. Pongal, lohri, uttarayan, makar sankranti, maghi. khichdi. Day and night are equally long on this day.  Eating sesame seeds and jaggery during winter is considered good for health. Some parts of India, kites are flown on this auspicious day. Read this for more information about this festival. Yesterday, during our community ladies meeting, I learnt how to make a proper kite for the first time. When I was teaching in school. we usually just painted on manila sheets or newspapers and made fake kites. So much technique is involved in making a kite… its all about aerodynamics. It was a fun activity. My partner and I added all sorts of decorations to make the kite attractive not realizing that we just made it heavier! Oh well… as I say, there is no age limit to learning new things. Do I know how to fly a kite? Not at all! Had never even heard of this festival when I was growing up. Came to know about it when I went to a boarding school in Mt. Abu.
     This year I decided to add more health to the ladoos by adding oats, nuts and seeds. I did find it difficult to roll them as my mixture was too coarse. But overall, the ladoos are good and can have them without feeling too guilty.

Share your thoughts :
Do you know how to fly a kite?

OATS AND NUTS LADDOOS
Makes about 24 small ladoos

1 cup oats (quick cooking variety)
12 -14 almonds
8 -10 walnuts
15 pistachios
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds (tal)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
2 tbsp dried cranberries
½ cup grated jaggery (gur)
1 tsp cardamom powder (elachi)
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp milk

1. Roast almonds, walnuts and pistachios separately over low heat for 2 – 3 minutes.
2. Roast the oats till a bit crunchy  – about 2 minutes.
3. Roast the sesame seeds till they just begin to pop. Remember to keep stirring all the ingredients constantly when roasting them.
4. Roast the pumpkin, poppy and sunflower seeds separately for about a minute.
5. Cut the cranberries into small pieces.
6. When the roasted ingredients are cool grind them into a coarse powder. I prefer to grind them separately.
7. Mix all the coarse powders and chopped cranberries. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
8. In a pan heat ghee and jaggery over low heat. Keep stirring till the jaggery melts.
9. Keep stirring gently till it begins to bubble.
10. Take the pan off the heat, add milk and mix well.
11. Add the coarse powder mixture and mix well.
12. As soon as the mixture is a bit cool, take a tablespoonful and begin making the laddoos.
13. To make the laddoos, press the mixture into a ball by pressing it in your fist.
14. Work quickly because its difficult to form laddoos with the cold mixture. 
15. You may heat the mixture gently but not too often.
16. Store in an air tight container.

 

Gur na ladwa

tal sankari

 

tal and mixed nuts laddoos

cooking for all seasons

Cooks Joy