GUR NA LADWA (CHURMA LADDOO)
Gur Na Ladwa /Churma Laddoo is a common sweet made during Diwali by most Patel homes. Made from wheat flour, ghee, milk with spices and nuts added to the mixture. These delectable, melt in the mouth laddoos are made either with jaggery or sugar.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ¾ cup semolina
- ½ cup wheat flour
- 3 tbsp ghee melted and hot
- ½ cup milk warm
- oil for deep frying
Other Ingredients To Add To The Churma:
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup almond powder coarse
- ¼ cup pistachio powder coarse
- 2 tbsps poppy seeds
- 1 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1½ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp saffron powder
Ingredients For The Jaggery Syrup:
- 1 - 1¼ cup soft or grated jaggery
- 4 - 6 tbsp ghee solid part
For Garnishing:
- ½ cup poppy seeds optional
Instructions
Preparation Of The Dough:
- To prepare the dough, mix the semolina and wheat flour.
- Rub the 3 tbsps of hot ghee into the flour.
- Add milk and form a dough. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Preparation Of The Add Ons:
- While the dough is resting roast the pista powder, almond powder, coconut, poppy seeds and sesame seeds separately over low heat in a wok or pan.
- Let the roasted ingredients cool down.
Frying The Dough:
- Divide the dough into 6 parts. Roll each part into a ball. Press the ball in your fist to make a elongated shape. These are called muthias.
- Heat oil over medium heat. Drop a tiny piece into the oil. It should come up immediately if the oil is ready.
- Drop the muthias into the hot oil. Lower the heat and fry the dough till they are golden brown.
- Make sure you turn them constantly so that they brown evenly.
Preparation Of The Churma:
- Let the muthias become cold. Process them in a chopper or grinder. The ground muthias should resemble breadcrumbs.
- Grind the roasted sesame seeds coarsely.
- Add pista powder, almond powder, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, saffron powder, sesame seed powder, poppy seeds and desiccated coconut to the ground muthia mixture.This is called churma. Mix it well.
Preparation Of The Jaggery Syrup:
- Take a wide pan or wok or karai and add the gur and ghee into it.
- Heat the gur and ghee mixture over low heat, stirring it constantly.
- The gur will melt and when it begins to bubble at the sides.
- Take the pan off the heat as soon as you see the bubbles at the sides.
Preparation Of Gur Na Ladwa/ Churma Laddoo
- Add the churma mixture to the melted gur and mix well.
- Start making ladoos as soon as the mixture is cool enough to handle.
- Take about 2 heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture and make it into a ball using your hand. Place the ball on the palm of one hand and with the other make it into a dome shape.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Sprinkle khus khus over the laddoos or roll them in it. Or can leave them plain.
- Serve when they are cold and set completely. It takes about 6-8 hours for them to set. Must not crumble as soon as you pick them up. The ghee used becomes solid which helps to hold the shape of the laddoos.
- It takes about 6-8 hours for them to set. Must not crumble as soon as you pick them up. The ghee used becomes solid which helps to hold the shape of the laddoos.
Notes
- Don't let the gur caramelise too much otherwise the ladoos will be hard.
- Work fast in making the ladoos as when the mixture becomes cold, it is difficult to form them into a ball. If you cannot make the dome shape, leave them round. If need be ask someone to help you so the process is faster.
- These days laddoo moulds are available. Use it for easy shaping.
- If you don't get khus khus, you can omit it. Use sesame seeds or nut powder or leave them plain.
- I use one cup of grated or soft gur, but if you like the ladoos to be sweeter, add ¼ cup more.
- Use the more whiter variety of gur as opposed to the dark one. If you use the dark one, the laddoos will turn out very dark.
- After frying the muthias, break them into smaller pieces so that they cool down faster.
- Adjust the spices according to your taste.
- If you find it difficult to shape the ladoos, add more ghee.