Besan ladoo are delicious sweet balls made with gram flour, sugar, ghee & cardamoms. Besan is the Hindi word for gram flour and ladoo are ball shaped sweet delights from Indian cuisine. These are mostly made during festivals & celebrations. Besan ladoo are not only delicious & aromatic but also have a melt in the mouth texture. In Indian cuisine, gram flour is used to make so many sweets like besan burfi, mysore pak, besan halwa and many more.
All of these are so delicious & much loved by everyone since the combination of gram flour, ghee & sugar is simply unbeatable in terms of flavor and taste.
These besan ladoos are no exception to it & are the best – so aromatic, delicious and simply melt in the mouth.
Apart from gulab jamun, rasmalai and rasgulla these besan ladoo are also quite popular and are made for Diwali. I made these for Ganesh Chaturthi along with Coconut ladoo.
It is said that Lord Ganesha loves ladoos too apart from modak. So a variety of ladoos like Coconut ladoo, Rava laddu, Bondi ladoo and Peanut laddu are also made for Ganesh chaturthi.
Making besan ladoo at home is simple and pretty straight forward. But the most important part is to use the correct ratio of flour:ghee & using the right ingredients. Here is how to choose & use them in this recipe.
Choosing Ingredients
1. Besan (gram flour): Always choose good quality flour to avoid bitter taste. The best choice is the freshly milled flour or using a fresh pack of besan. Gram flour has a nature to turn bitter within a few months of milling. So always taste it first before using to ensure it is not bitter.
There are different kinds of besan sold in the market with varying levels of texture.
Super smooth flour, moderately fine flour and coarse flour also known as ladoo besan are the most commonly available kinds. The texture of your besan ladoos depend on the kind of flour you use.
If you prefer slight texture in your besan ladoo then use coarse flour or use a small portion of semolina. If you prefer a melt in the mouth texture then choose the smooth and fine besan.
Some people don’t like super smooth besan ladoos as they feel they stick to the teeth and the mouth while eating. So choose your flour depending on how you like your ladoos to be.
2. Sugar: I have used organic sugar. But traditionally bura shakkar or tagar is used. If you are using regular refined white sugar, you may need slightly lesser sugar.
3. Ghee: Using good quality puree ghee helps to make these besan ladoos more aromatic. Homemade ghee is the best . I made it following this ghee recipe.
Tips to make best besan ladoo
1. Roasting besan correctly is the key to aromatic and delicious ladoos. If this step is not done properly the aroma does not come out from the besan resulting in raw tasting besan ladoos.
If the flour is over roasted, the ladoos can have a bitter and burnt flavor. So roasting the flour stirring constantly on a medium to low heat is very important.
When the besan is roasted properly it turns aromatic indicating it is done. Also taste test it to ensure it is not raw.
2. Non stop stirring: You have to keep stirring non-stop & continuously without taking a break even for a few seconds especially at the later stage. Otherwise there are chances of the besan getting burnt.
3. Roasting time: I suggest not to go by the time as it depends on the kind of stove, pan and the intensity of the flame. The time frame I have mentioned in the post is just a guideline.
Preparation
I have doubled the recipe (2x) so you will find the ingredients more in the pics.
1. Measure ½ cup sugar and add it to a blender or grinder jar. Add 3 cardamoms and make a fine powder. Powder it very finely. You can use white sugar or any variety of sugar.
2. Set this aside.
3. Weigh or measure your besan and ghee correctly. We will need
1 cup besan (105 to 110 grams)
¼ cup ghee (4 tbsps) (50 grams).
If you go wrong with the quantities your ladoos may not bind or may turn flat. Fluff up the flour in the jar with a fork and then scoop it to the measuring cup. You can use ghee in liquid or solid form. Both will be same.
Roasting besan
4. Add 1½ tablespoons ghee to a heavy bottom pan (from the ghee you measured earlier). Heat it. We are using only 1½ tbsps ghee at this step from the total amount required for the recipe. Add 2 tablespoons cashews to the ghee and fry them on a medium flame until crunchy. Remove them to a bowl. If you don’t prefer cashews, you may skip them.
6. Lower the flame. Add besan to the same pan. Do not add any more ghee at this stage. Adding all of it at this stage will make it hard to fry the besan well.
7. Mix both of them well. Keep stirring and begin to fry on a medium low heat. You may see small lumps of ghee and besan. Just ignore them.
8. Keep stirring constantly for even roasting and to prevent burning. After 5 mins of roasting, the color of the besan begins to change to a slightly deeper color with a slight aroma.
9. Reduce the flame to lowest, then quickly add the rest of the ghee.
10. Do not stop stirring. Keep stirring to incorporate the ghee well & continue to roast the besan on the lowest flame. The flour will absorb all of the ghee and become lumpy at this stage.
11. As you fry the mixture will turn to a mass.
12. Keep roasting and stirring non stop till the besan smells aromatic and turns deep golden color. It took 25 mins for me to reach this stage from the time I added the flour to the pan. Timing may vary depending on the kind of pan and intensity of heat used.
13. As soon as you smell it aromatic, remove the pan immediately from the stove & place it on the counter. If you don’t remove the pan in time, the mixture will burn. In just few minutes you will notice ghee begins to ooze out from the mixture. The color changes to golden and the consistency begins to change.
The quantity of ghee that oozes out depends on the texture of besan. Most times it turns to a semi solid stage. But since there are different kinds of besan in the market, the mixture may not turn runny or semi solid stage. So once the mixture turns aromatic stop roasting.
How to make besan ladoo
14. After keeping on the counter, stir for another 2 to 3 minutes as the besan will continue to cook in the hot ghee. This is how it was after 3 mins. Taste test this to ensure it is not raw. If it tastes nutty it is roasted correctly.
15. Allow it to cool down completely. Add cashews.
16. Add powdered sugar. If you prefer less sweetness in your besan ladoo reduce the sugar. I use all of the powdered sugar. Ensure the besan has cooled down before adding sugar. If you add sugar to hot besan, sugar will instantly melt and ruin.
17. Mix well to incorporate the sugar with the besan mixture. Knead with your hand. At this stage, it will look dry but as you mix, the warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and help to bind all of the ingredients.
18. The mixture should look something like this. It will be greasy.
19. Take small portions and roll to balls. Store them in a air tight jar and use with in 3 weeks.
Since I doubled the recipe I got 16. If using coarse besan, ladoo may not look smooth. To give a nice smooth finish, after few hours of making these, place each ladoo in a clean white muslin cloth and roll gently.
I did not use a cloth but just rolled them once more after 30 mins. Store besan ladoo in a air tight jar.
You can also check these easy 30 ladoo recipes and 100 + Diwali sweets recipes.
Note
Please note that patience is the KEY to making awesome besan ladoos. Do not get impatient while you roast the besan. Initially you can roast the besan on a medium flame.
Once it turns hot and begins to change the color slightly switch over to low flame completely until the last stage.
If you feel the mixture is getting too hot at any stage, take off the pan from the stove for a while to bring down the temperature.
Making besan ladoos is a lot of arm work as it involves stirring continuously. If you have weak arms, please do not attempt this without a helping hand.
Related Recipes
Besan ladoo recipe
Besan ladoo recipe | How to make besan ladoo
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for besan ladoo
- 1 cup besan (1x – 105 to 110 grams gram flour)
- ¼ cup ghee (1x – 4 tbsps, 50 grams clarified butter)
- ½ cup sugar (adjust to taste) (or boora shakkar or powdered jaggery)
- 3 green cardamoms (elaichi (or ⅓ tsp ground cardamoms)
- 2 tablespoons cashews chopped (optional)
Instructions
Preparation for besan ladoo
- Powder sugar and cardamom pods finely in a grinder/blender jar. Set aside.
- Heat a pan and add 1½ tablespoons ghee.
- When it melts, add chopped cashews and fry them until lightly golden. Remove them to a small bowl.
- Add besan to the same pan. On a medium low flame keep stirring and begin to roast the besan for 5 to 6 mins. You may see small lumps of ghee and flour. Just ignore them.
- After 5 mins, it begins to turn slightly aromatic & changes to a slightly deeper color. Regulate the flame to lowest immediately.
- Add rest of the ghee. Mix well and keep roasting on a low flame stirring continuously without stopping. Otherwise it may burn.
- Besan will absorb all of the ghee and turn lumpy at this stage. Just continue to cook it stirring constantly.
- After a while besan begins to turn deep golden in color and aromatic. Your kitchen will be filled with a aroma indicating the flour is well roasted. It took 25 mins for me to reach this stage. Timing may vary depending on the kind of pan and intensity of heat used.
- Be cautious at this stage & remove the pan quickly from the stove. Begin to cool down by stirring it for another 2 to 3 mins.
- Cool little bit of the roasted besan and taste test it. It should be nutty and not taste raw even a bit.
- Cool down the roasted besan completely. This step is important.
How to make besan ladoo
- When the besan cools down add powdered sugar. If you prefer less sweetness in your ladoos, add little lesser than mentioned in the recipe. I use all of the powdered sugar.
- Mix very well to combine the sugar. At first your mixture may seem dry but keep mixing or knead it with your hand. The warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and bind all of them well.
- Take small portions of this and press down in your palm to roll to balls. You can make about 8 ladoos.
- Store besan ladoo in a air tight jar and use within 3 weeks.
Notes
- Choose fresh besan or least cut open a new pack of besan to avoid bitter taste. Stale flour often tastes bitter. So avoid it.
- Under roasting the flour will leave a raw smell of besan to the ladoos. So roast until you begin to get a nice aroma and the color changes to deep golden.
- Do not use the entire ghee at the beginning to roast the besan. Adding all the ghee in the beginning makes the flour mixture heavy. It is hard to roast the besan.
- It only takes a minute for the well roasted besan to burn. So be extremely cautious at the final stage. Once done remove it from the stove.
- Ensure the flame is medium until the besan turns hot. Later regulate to low flame till the end until the besan turns golden & aromatic.
- When the besan is done, you will get a very nice aroma. This is the indication to remove from the stove. It may or may not turn semi-liquid depending on the flour. Sometimes it turns to a semi-liquid stage after it is removed from the heat.
- The most important point is to add sugar only when the roasted besan cools down. If you add sugar to hot besan, then sugar will melt and the mixture turns runny. You won’t be able to bind the mixture.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Manisha Khanna says
Hello Ms. Swasthi,
Thank you for turning me into a Chef at Home with your recipes.
I really want to acknowledge you for the ways you make cooking so easy and delectable.
For me, any recipe is Swasthi’s recipe, now and always 😊
Lots of love.
Manisha Khanna
swasthi says
Hello Manisha
You are most welcome! So happy to know the recipes are helping. Thanks a lot for leaving a comment. This really made me so happy.
🙂
Neha kohli says
Hiii dear I have tried your recipe it turns out yum…thank you soo much for such a wonderful receipe
swasthi says
Hi Neha
Glad to know! Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
Anne says
Very well explained and made easy to understand and follow the recipe. Thank you and God bless!
swasthi says
Welcome Anne
Thank you so much!
Shefali says
Hi .. very nice recipe. I have just made it , the mixture is still hot . I just wanted to ask that I had added coarsely grounded sugar and its not dissolved, can I do something about it?
swasthi says
Hi Shefali
Firstly sugar has to be fine powdered. Secondly it should not be added to hot besan. Now to fix it, cool it down completely. Then add it to a grinder and grind the whole mixture in batches. You should be able to make the ladoos.
Dhanalakshmi says
The first time ever that I’ve tried to make besan and it was bang on…thanks to your recipe. Tasted exactly the way my mother in law used to make it
swasthi says
You are welcome!
So glad to know.
Neelam says
Made besan ladoos and they came out perfect! Super easy to make too
swasthi says
Glad to know! Thank you
Shaili Suri says
I tried this recipe word to word and ladoos came out absolutely yum. Yes, to brown the besan is key here and your explanation is so clear in all your recipes. I am becoming a fan and now look for your recipes for every dish.
swasthi says
Glad to know Shaili
Thank you so much!
Akanksha Mavooru says
Hi, I really love your recipes. However I tried this one and doubled the recipe, they came out really dry, upon rechecking the recipe I found out the ghee quantity changed in terms of cups and grams however the tablespoon quantity is the same for both one portion as well as the double. Unfortunately I did not measure the ghee in grams. This lead to a very dry ladoo. I made this for Diwali and was going to be the star of the show. 🙁 could you please amend the recipe for future reference and others benefit. Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Akanksha,
Thank you! Actually I have put a note in the recipe card about it. Unfortunately it’s a issue with the plugin. You can crumble the ladoos and add more powdered sugar and melted ghee. Mix well and make the ladoos. This will fix the problem. FYI I have updated the ingredients in metric as well so it helps others.
Anjali says
Ahhh – I did the same, and mine were also very dry, but now it makes sense why. I love the descriptive instructions, so I’m going to try again!
swasthi says
Hi Anjali,
Yes do try it again. I tried my best to make it clear. Hope that helps
Susmita Mandal says
I just did it. Thanks .
swasthi says
Welcome Susmita
Shikha Mahesh says
Love your presentation and the recipes.
swasthi says
Thank you!
Amrin says
Helped alot very easy thanks alot🤗
swasthi says
Welcome Amrin
Rupal says
Hi, Can I use Gud for this recipe, if yes then what is quantity and cooking method? Please reply.
Thank you,
Rupal
swasthi says
Hi Rupal
Yes you can. Fry the besan the same way and cool it.
Then sieve the powdered jaggery directly over it and mix. Store bought jaggery powder works well here. 3/4 cup works well for us. You can start with half cup. Taste test and add more if needed. You have to do a bit of kneading so the ghee helps to bind the mixture well. If the weather is too cold, then add it to warm besan instead of cooling completely. Hope this helps.
Shifa says
Ma’am how come the measurement of ghee in tbsp is same, like ¼ cup is 4 tbsp, 0.5 cup is also 4tbsp on increasing the amount of besan
swasthi says
Hi Shifa
Yes I have mentioned about it in the notes. The quantities mentioned in the (brackets) will not change automatically for 2x & 3x. So you have to do it manually.
Geetika says
Hi,
I made besan ladoo following all the steps and they turned out amazing. I want to know If I have to make any changes to make with 3 cups besan. Also can I add some suji. If yes how much can I use? Then do I add more ghee. Please suggest. TIA
swasthi says
Hi Geetika
Glad to know! You can substitute 2 teaspoon of besan with suji. You don’t need to make any changes. Hope this helps.
V Monis says
Hi Swasthi , I tried your beast ladoo recipe and they turned out delicious. Thanks to you I tried out something I’ve never tried before .
Will try out more of your recipes ,pls keep them coming .
swasthi says
Hi Monis
Glad to know ladoos turned out good. Thank you!
Yes sure will keep sharing
Sudha Patel says
Swasthi only few days ago I discovered your cooking Site, very simple with tips buying the product, getting started with preparations to actual cooking and the result excellent. I made Smooth Basen ladoos as Prasad..very happy with the outcome.
Also made paneer curry, mushroom curry using ur basic method, all came up great.
Over all so happy to to go through many recipes and will follow your tips to cook variety of dishes. I am mum of adult children with families, advised them to check ur site and learn more Indian veg cooking with easy to follow steps.
swasthi says
Hello Sudha ji,
So happy to know the recipes turned out good. Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
Have a good day!
🙂
Suvarna Shilpa says
Came out well , but they are little more sweeter for me
Taste is authentic
Thank you so much
Dinika says
The recipe turned out great. For me personally, the sugar was slightly more than my liking. But th ever recipe and texture was amazing! Thanks very much. 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Dinika
Glad to know! You can reduce it next time. Thank you
🙂
Dr. Pheba says
All your recipes including this one is an instant hit with my family. If anyone follows your recipe to the T, they for sure can have a lip smacking meal/snack at the end. Thank you for sharing.
swasthi says
Welcome Dr.Pheba
So glad to know the recipes are working out well. Thank you so much!
🙂
Neha says
Thanks a bunch… followed the excat recipe and the result was awsum…. no one can believe they are home made… its just i added 1 extra tbsp of ghee as it seemed that my mixture is a bit dry than the one shown in pic… it was my very first attempt of making laddoo and it was a hit… thanks
swasthi says
Hi Neha
You are welcome! Glad to know they turned out good.
Thank you!