Besan ladoo recipe – Sweet chickpea flour balls with cashews and almonds

Ladoo (laddu) is an Indian sweet, basically a ball shaped confection made from various ingredients and served especially during festival seasons.

Besan ladoo (chickpea flour is called besan in Hindi) it’s a very popular dessert in India, served especially at Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which celebrates the victory of light over darkness. I am in for these ladoos anytime.

Gluten-free, high in protein, iron and fiber, no wonder my doctor asked me to eat besan ladoos during my pregnancy time. And I ate, a lot!

Oh my, how the house smelled while making these besan ladoos. If you ever tried roasting chickpea flour (besan), then you know what I mean. A sweet, nutty aroma that is hard to resist.

For this recipe I have been inspired from the famous Chef Sanjeev Kapoor‘s Khazana of Indian Recipes cookbook. I played a bit with ingredients, used less sugar and more cashew nuts and almonds.

Try it yourself, I am sure it won’t disappoint you.

Step by step Besan laddoo recipe

Coarsely grind cashew nuts and almonds and keep aside.

Melt the ghee (clarified butter) in a deep pan, on low heat. Add besan (chickpea flour) and cook over low heat for about15 minutes, until it gives a nice nutty aroma. You will have to stir frequently.

Add cardamom powder, ground cashew nuts and almonds. Stir and turn off the heat.

Let it cool for a while then add powder sugar and mix well.

Let this laddoo mixture cool down to room temperature then shape it into walnut sized balls. Moisten your palms with a little melted ghee while making balls.

Besan laddoos can be stored in an airtight container or in the refrigerator. If you keep the laddoos in the refrigerator you will notice that they become hard. In this case, warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave before serving. They will become soft. Enjoy!