Maladu recipe – Fried gram laddu, maa ladoo, roasted gram ladoo, hurigadale unde are the other names to these delicious mouth melting ladoos. These are one of the quickest to make using very few ingredients for any occasions, festivals or when you have guests home. These are made in almost all South Indian states with the method being almost same.

The maladu recipe shared here requires just 4 ingredients sugar, fried gram, cardamoms and ghee. I have also used cashews which are not used by many as they prefer the mouth melting texture. We also make another kind of these fried gram ladoo with jaggery and other ingredients like peanuts and copra to offer to god during Naga panchami and ganesh chaturthi. Will share that version too some other time.
For more ladoo recipes, you can check
Coconut ladoo
Besan ladoo
Rava ladoo
How to make maladu recipe
1. Add sugar and cardamoms to a blender jar. It is good to use seeds than the entire cardamom pods.

2. Make a fine powder.

3. Transfer this to a bowl. If you are using a bigger jar, you can just keep it in the jar.

4. Add fried gram.

5. Make a fine powder. You may need to scrape the sides and blend again to make very fine powder. Make sure sugar and fried gram turn to a very fine powder.

6. Set this aside together with the sugar.

7. Heat 1/4 cup ghee and fry cashews lightly if using. The ghee turns very hot.

8. Add the flour and powdered sugar. Off the stove.

9. Begin to mix well. The mixture turn really hot and begins to emit a nice aroma. At this stage the flour must get coated with the ghee well. If you see dry powder, just go on mixing. Sugar begins to melt and helps to bind the flour well. If you see any dry flour, then immediately add 1 tbsp more ghee and mix. Then add another tbsp if needed. I used 2 tbsp extra ghee apart from 1/4 cup.

10. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit. When it is still warm take small portions of this and make balls. You don’t need to grease your palms. Do not allow to cool down completely.

Store maladu in a air tight jar. These keep good for about a month in air tight jars if handled with dry hands.

Related Recipes
Maladu or fried gram ladoo recipe

Maladu recipe | Fried gram or roasted gram ladoo recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup fried gram / potukadalai/ putnalu pappu / bhuna chana
- ½ cup sugar (organic)
- ¼ cup ghee (2 tbsp extra if needed)
- 3 green cardamoms / elaichi
- 1 Handful cashews chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Powder sugar and cardamoms. Set aside and powder roasted gram to a fine powder. Set this one too aside.
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews until golden. Switch off the stove.
- Add the sugar and fried gram powder to the hot ghee. Begin to mix while the ghee is still hot. The mixture must be binding well otherwise you can add 1 tbsp of ghee each time and mix.
- Set aside till it comes down to a warm temperature. Do not allow to cool down completely.
- Take small portions of the dough and make balls.
- Store maladu in a air tight jar and use with in a month.
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
Pallavi says
Awesome.. I have made it twice now… It really come good… My hubby is huge fan of your recipes..
swasthi says
Hello Pallavi
Thank you so much! So glad to know.
🙂
Maya says
I killed it all love this in my home thank you
swasthi says
Welcome Maya
Rav says
Is this made from raw chana daal which is fried first? Or roasted chana daal which you get in stores to eat as a snack?
swasthi says
Yes it is made from roasted chana daal
Maha says
Awesome recipe collection you have !!
Laddu looks so cute n delicious !!
swasthi says
Thanks Maha
Kavitha says
Tried this and came out well. I tried many recipes from your collection-sweets, biryani, drinks, babyfood and I am turning from a not so good cook to an average cook, will try to become a good cook soon by trying more from your recipes. Your explanation- along with the photos, tips, do’s and dont’s is excellent and very helpful. Your cooking is just amazing and fab :-):-):-)
swasthi says
Hi Kavitha
Thanks a lot for the compliments. Very glad to know you are trying a lot of recipes. I am sure you will become a very good cook soon. Thanks again. Have a lovely weekend.
🙂