Deepavali Sweets - Mohan Ladoo - Semolina and Sugar Balls.

MOHAN LADOO

I do not know how, why or who baptized our traditional sweet dishes with such beautiful names. But the names surely are enchanting and just adorable. One such sweet is Mohan Ladoo meaning Enchanting Ladoo! The taste justifies its name!

INGREDIENTS

Fine semolina (rava) - 1 glass (200 ml)

Sugar - 1 glass

Salt - 1 pinch

Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Cashew nuts - a few

Ghee - 3 tbsps

Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Add salt and knead semolina into a soft but stiff dough using the required amount of water.

2. Cover with a damp cloth and leave it aside for ten minutes.

3. Pinch and knead the dough again and roll out into thin ' poories' using rice flour for dusting.

4. Heat oil in a kadai and drop in a ' poorie' after marking it with a fork.

5. Press down the ' poorie' so that it does not puff up.

6. Turn the ' poorie' now and then so that both the sides are fried well.

7. Remove the crisp reddish brown ' poorie' with a perforated ladle and drain on a kitchen towel.

8. Fry all the 'poories' and allow them to cool down .

9. Powder the sugar and cardamom smoothly in a mixer.

10. Break the crunchy ' poories' and add the bits to the powdered sugar and give one swish in the mixer. The 'poorie' powder should be coarse and it should blend with the finely powdered sugar.

11. Empty the ' poorie' and sugar blend into a bowl.

12. Heat the ghee and fry the cashew nuts to a golden brown colour.

13. Pour the hot ghee and the fried cashew nuts all over the mixture.

14. Mix with a spatula so that the hot ghee melts away the sugar.

15. Take a handful of the mixture and shape into a golf ball size 'ladoo'. A sprinkle of hot milk will facilitate the easy formation of Mohan Ladoos.

The crumbly "Enchanting" ladoos are sure to enchant anyone who savours it.