Ram Ladoo recipe
Don’t get fooled by the name, as this Ram ladoo recipe is not sweet. These are spicy-salty lip-smacking lentil fritters prepared with Split Peas/ Chana dal and Moong dal (Yellow Lentils) batter - a popular street food that hails from the street of New Delhi.
These savory titbits with the right burst of flavors from the added chutneys and a hint of lime juice are such a divine combination: a perfect jamboree of flavors and pure bliss!
If you have ever lived in Delhi or visited the capital city, there is no way you never tasted this delicious snack that is so synonymous with Delhi street food! Ram Ladoo or popularly called Moong Daal Ke Ladoo, is famous street food from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh regions.
You will find vendors selling this street food at almost every lane and street of Delhi. A platter full of Ram Ladoos in front of you is enough to make you forget about everything else happening around you. It tastes so delectable that you would instantly want to dig into it!
Especially during the rainy season or winters when you crave something fried, Ram Ladoos completely take care of your cravings.
What is Ram Ladoo Recipe
Ram ladoo is a popular street food snack from Delhi made with lentil batter. The finely churned lentil batter, along with spices, is used to prepare small bite-sized nuggets, which are then turned into the chaat with an exciting topping of juicy shredded radish, tangy tamarind chutney, and spicy green mint chutney.
These golden, crispy, and crunchy magical moong dal vadas have become a favorite starter or snack dish that satisfies every soul craving spicy, flavorful, and delicious street food!
Reasons You’ll ♡ Ram Ladoo Recipe
There is no one reason to fall in love with these crispy delicacies! But the most apparent ones are —
- Super easy to prepare.
- Pure bliss on a rainy day. In fact, they are perfect for any weather.
- Perfect appetizers for any get-together or party.
- Completely scrumptious, with a punch of flavors coming from the savory chutneys.
- Gluten-free and vegan too!
The best part, the irresistibly delicious Ram Ladoo recipe is loved by all age groups and make a perfect accompaniment to the evening tea.
Ingredient list for Ram ladoo Recipe
Lentils — Split Peas/ Gram dal and Moong dal form the base ingredients for these ladoos. Lentils are rich in proteins and as such, they make for a protein-rich snack. You can use gram dal in place of split peas for this recipe.
Cumin Seeds — Roasted and ground cumin seeds powder is sprinkled over the Ram Ladoo chaat for its distinctive aroma and intense flavor.
Ginger paste — Added to the Ram ladoo batter for flavor and gingerly spiciness.
Cilantro leaves — Chopped cilantro leaves are used for garnishing the chaat and making it completely drool-worthy.
Asafoetida (Hing) — It adds a distinctive flavor and aids digestion.
Chili powder — Red chili powder is added to the batter for that spicy zing to the Ram ladoos.
Baking Soda — It is added to the batter for the ladoos to become more fluffy and soft. It helps the batter to aerate properly.
Radish — Shredded radish makes the presentation look more irresistible! The juicy shredded radish also adds more flavor to the chaat.
Green Chutney — Made with mint, coriander leaves, and spices, the green chutney, along with the tangy tamarind chutney, creates the real magic in the chaat.
Tamarind Chutney — The tangy tamarind chutney collabs with the spicy green chutney to bring about a burst of flavors in the chaat.
Chaat Masala — A pinch of chaat masala is added for more flavor and zing.
Lemon Juice — Just a squeeze of lemon juice adds tanginess and gives an irresistible effect to the tongue.
How to make Ram ladoo recipe
Let us begin with this straightforward recipe and check out for ourselves what it takes to create a super-indulgent street food that we all love so much!
Soak the lentils — Before you begin, check the lentils for small stones. Take a fine-meshed sieve and rinse the lentils under cold running water to clean any dirt or dust. Set it aside to drain.
Transfer the rinsed lentils to a bowl and cover them with 1 inch water. Cover and let sit for 3-4 hours.
Grate the Daikon Radish — Rinse and peel the outer layer of radish. Cut the radish lengthwise. Take a small bowl, and using the bigger side of the grater, grate the daikon radish at a 90-degree angle. Once you are done, press the grated daikon in between your palms to squeeze out the water. Cover and set it aside.
PROTIP — This squeezing of water is an essential step. If there is water in the radish, it will make the Ram ladoos soggy and unappetizing. Also, make sure you do not squeeze it too much because the radish shreds will become dry and unpalatable.
Grind the lentils — Drain and rinse the lentils again after the soak time is over. Add the lentils to a food processor or blender, and pulse into a fine paste.
Open the blender, scrape the lentils from the sides, and pulse again. Prepare a thick batter that is finely ground and smooth textured.
Prepare Ram Ladoo batter — Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl. Add the spices and whisk until combined. Whisk the Ram ladoo batter for about 5-6 minutes or until it is well aerated and double in size.
You can use either a hand whisk, electric whisk, or a stand mixer to aerate the Ram ladoo recipe batter.
Fry Ram ladoo — Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, drop golf-ball-sized batter into the oil. Fry the ram ladoos for about 7-8 minutes over medium-high heat, turning them occasionally until they turn golden brown.
Remove from heat and set them on a paper napkin to drain. Let them cool.
PROTIP — Do not fry the Ram Ladoos on high heat. The oil should be medium-hot. To check that, drop a little batter in the oil; if it gently floats to the top, the oil is ready. Frying them in hot oil will result in uncooked ladoos.
Likewise, if the ram ladoos are cooked in moderately hot oil, they will soak up oil.
Assemble Ram Ladoo — Place 5-6 warm ram ladoos is a plate; top them with radish shreds and cilantro leaves. Now, pour the green chutney and tamarind chutney on top. Finally, finish it off with a generous sprinkle of chaat masala and red chili powder.
Serve warm.
Expert tips and variations
Soaking the dals — This is an essential step to making the dals soft. Soaking the dals for at least 3- 4 hours will make the lentils soft and ideal for grinding.
Do not add water to the batter — Prepare a thick batter that is finely ground and smooth textured. Do not add water while churning, as the runny batter will not be easy to handle. The ladoos will not take the round shape as well.
Substitute for baking soda — If you run out of baking soda, you may add ½ teaspoon of Eno to the batter as it will also help the batter rise and result in fluffy Ram ladoos.
Can alter the size — Ladoos can be shaped to the size you prefer. You may choose bite-sized ladoos, just the way I prepared, or you may prepare a little bigger. It's entirely your call. However, a bite-sized ball cooks evenly from inside out.
Smooth batter — Churn the lentils to a fine smooth batter. It should be almost like a paste: very fine and not grainy.
When making a big batch- Grind the dals (lentils) in small amounts if you are making ladoos in a big batch. This will ensure a proper grinding that produces a smooth paste-like mixture.
Whisking is important — Whisking the batter is the key to fluffy ladoos. The ladoos should be soft and smooth too, and this depends on how much time you give into whisking the batter. Whisking aerates the Ram ladoo recipe batter, an essential step for getting fluffy ladoos.
Keep the flame medium when frying — Too hot oil will burn the outer covering of the ladoos and keep the ladoos uncooked from the inside. If the oil is not hot, ladoos will soak up the oil and become soggy. So to be sure of frying ladoos in the correct way, keep the heat to medium.
Do not over-fry — Over-fried Ram ladoos turn out to be hard. Do not over-fry the ladoos as they will become dark brown and get hard. Keep a watch over the timing for preparing the perfect golden ladoos.
Non-fried version — You may also prepare these ladoos without frying them in oil. The other way is to prepare them in the appe pan. Though they might turn out to be a little dense due to prolonged cooking, both taste equally good and crunchy.
Variation — You can add grated carrots and beetroot along with the grated radish to bring out a colorful variation to the Ram Ladoo chaat. This is indeed a great way to add a variation to the otherwise also lip-smacking recipe.
Which part of Radish to use — I prefer to use the middle part of daikon radish for this recipe. This part is balanced with sweetness, spiciness, and soft texture.
But if you like it spicy, use the lower part of the radish as it has less water and an intense spicy flavor. Avoid the top piece, as it has a hard texture and is packed with water but has a sweet taste.
Let me know what you think!
If you have never tasted Ram Ladoos and somewhere feel you are missing out on delicious street food, don't worry; preparing street food has never been easier than this.
This simple and easy-to-prepare Ram Ladoo recipe will walk you through every step so that you can treat yourself and your loved ones to this street-style chaat right away.
Should you make this recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
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Ram Ladoo recipe
INGREDIENTS
LADOO INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup Yellow Split Peas (OR Chana dal)
- 1 cup Yellow Lentil Dal (Moong Dal)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin seeds
- - - Salt to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing )
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro leaves (Chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda ( or Eno)
- - - Oil for frying
ASSEMBLING LADOOS
- - - Daikon radish (or Mooli, shredded)
- - - Green Chutney
- - - Tamarind Chutney
- A pinch of Chaat Masala (to sprinkle on top)
- - - Chopped cilantro leaves (to sprinkle on top)
- - - Lemon Juice (to sprinkle on top)
INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARING RAM LADOOS
- Before you begin, check the lentils for small stones. Take a fine-meshed sieve and rinse the lentils under cold running water to clean any dirt or dust. Set it aside to drain. Transfer the rinsed lentils to a bowl and cover them with 1-inch water.
- Cover and let sit for 3-4 hours.
GRATE DAIKON RADISH
- Rinse and peel the outer layer of radish. Cut the radish lengthwise.
- Take a small bowl, and using the bigger side of the grater, grate the daikon radish at a 90-degree angle.
- Once you are done, press the grated daikon in between your palms to squeeze out the water. Cover and set it aside.
GRIND LENTILS
- Drain and rinse the lentils again after the soak time is over.
- Add the lentils to a food processor or blender.
- Pulse into a fine paste. Open the blender, scrape the lentils from the sides, and pulse again.
- Prepare a thick batter that is finely ground and smooth textured.
SEASON RAM LADOO BATTER
- Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the spices and whisk until combined.
- Add baking soda and beat the batter again. Whisk the Ram ladoo batter for about 5-6 minutes or until it is well aerated and double in size.
- The more the air is incorporated in the batter, the fluffier these ladoos will turn out to be.
FRY RAM LADOO
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, drop golf-ball-sized batter into the oil. Fry the ram ladoos for about 7-8 minutes over medium-high heat, turning them occasionally until they turn golden brown.
- Remove from heat and set them on a paper napkin to drain. Let them cool. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter and fry ladoos until golden in color.
- For the non-fried version - heat and grease appe pan. Drop 1 tablespoon mixture in each cavity.
- Cover and cook on a medium low flame.
- Turn occasionally and cook until evenly brown from both sides.
ASSEMBLE RAM LADOO
- Place 7-8 ram ladoos in a bowl.
- Generously top them with green chutney and tamarind chutney.
- Top it off with 2 tablespoons of radish shreds.
- Add some more green chutney on top.
- Sprinkle chaat masala.
- And Ram ladoo chaat is ready.
- You can finish it off by adding some chopped green chilies and lemon juice.
Perfect Laddoos!
I didn't have Chana Daal and my Moong Daal batter was a tiny bit wetter than needed, so I added 2 tbsp of Besan to it and they were perrrrrrrrrfect!!
Thanks for the awesome recipe! 💕
Pleasure is all mine. 🙂
Glad you liked the recipe and thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Hi ! We made this twice or thrice in the past 3 months and loved it a lot 😉 thanks for a great recipe and here's a mention to ur blog / recipe from mine .
Cheers
Kalyani
http://www.sizzlingtastebuds.com/2017/09/ram-ladoo-gulgule-vegan-and-gf-street.html
Thanks for your feedback Kalyani!
Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Mam overall look same like your ladoo but inside like not fully cooked . What is the reason Mam
I’m sorry to hear that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. The possible reason for under-cooked ram-ladoos is - oil too hot. During frying, the outside of ram ladoos became crispy and brown but the inside remained under cooked. Ladoos did not get enough time in hot oil and were removed quite early and this is because ram ladoos were not fully cooked.
I hope you give this recipe a try again with a more successful outcome next time. 🙂
Thanks for a perfect recipe Ruchi. Ladoos were fluffy liked it so much. Wish I could click a pic but were polished long before that 😉
Next time for sure.... I promise.
Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback Vaishali. No worries, as long as you enjoyed the recipe that's rewarding for me. 💕
I grew up in Delhi, India and I always enjoyed street food . Ram ladoo was one of the street food I would often eat . I forgot what it called so I started googling and I found the picture with the name . Then I found the recipes through this web . I have already made some for myself and I'm going to make some for my siblings , too. Thank
You for the recipes . 😘
Pleasure is all mine.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Ruchi ! Made this today and LOVED it !! Thank u so much for a keeper of a recipe 🙂
Thanks for trying the recipe Kalyani. Glad you liked. 🙂
Thanks a lot ruchi the recipe was exactly the one like on Delhi streets my friends really loved it and on my part I enjoyed it a lot trying your kakori kebab now looks it will be a hit also
Thanks for trying the recipe Aniruddha! Glad to hear that you and your friends liked the recipe. 🙂
Hi Ruchi: I followed your recipe yesterday in the appe pan (thank you for the directions). We loved the flavor of these gulgules (we all ate a few plain) and the condiments really took them to another level. Regarding the texture, they were nice and golden and crisp from outside (like your picture) but inside they felt very dense. I did add eno salt like the recipe mentioned and tried to beat the batter. Is the dense texture due to appe pan? Have you come across this difference between frying and appe pan?
Thank you so much for innovative, healthy and guilt-free delicious recipes such as this. I deeply value your work.
Thanks for your wonderful feedback. I'm really happy to hear that you enjoy my recipes.
Yes, the dense texture is because of prolonged cooking in the appe pan. Even during frying if the gul-gulle are cooked for long, they will have a dense texture.
Hope this answers your query!!
Are you sure it's horseradish? I suppose you meant Diakon, right? I ended up buying a horseradish from the farmers market this morning and eating it in those liberal amounts as said in the recipe; it almost killed me :P. Felt like eating one whole spoonful of wasabi. great recipe though 🙂
I meant radish and didn't realize that the plugin picked up horseradish. My apologizes Vaibhav! Hope you are doing okay! Though, I have clearly stated in the ingredients section "Mooli".
Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Easy & wonderful recipes...thanks for sharing...
My pleasure Sarla. Glad you liked. 🙂
Lovely recipe, Cant wait to try it.. I had a question. If i want to make these for a party, for far in advance an i make them and how should I store them?
Thanks Vandy! Yes, you can make gulgulle in advance. Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Just before serving, warm in the oven and serve. 🙂
Tasty tangy simple and mouthwatering fritters
Thanks Jyoti. 🙂
Hi, Thanks for the recipe! It looks so yummy , will definitely try it.Can you please provide me with the recipe for your green chutney too.Your chutney looks exactly like the one that we get in India.TIA
Thanks for stopping by Sonia. Sure, do give it a try and if possible share your feedback. Here is the link to green chutney for chaats - https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/recipe/green-chutney-for-chaats/
I have been looking for ages for a good recipe for Ram Ladoo. Thank you so much for posting this. I will try them out and let you know how they turn out.
Sure Pooja, give them a try and I am sure you will like it. 🙂
I tried this receipe yesterday for the evening snack. The recipe overall turned out nice but unfortunately the ladoos were a bit hard and not that soft. I would want to know the possible reasons and how I can improve it next time.
Thank you!!
Thanks for trying out this recipe Kanika! Two reasons this happens is -
1. Beat the batter till its fluffy. This way Ram ladoos will turn out fluffy.
2. Oil should be sufficient hot while frying these ladoos. Keeping them in hot oil for too long will result in harder ladoos.
Hope this helps. Do try them again and I am sure you will end up having fluffier Ram ladoos/Gulgulle. 🙂
Amazingly delicious recipe Ruchi. Tried and was perfect, reminded me of Delhi street.being a delhiite I miss street food and you with your pictures made it come closer. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome Mansi. I too enjoy eating this chaat, glad you liked it. 🙂
Very authentic recipe and great blog. Recipes are tempting and mouth watering. I love trying new things for tea time snack and I am glad I found you. Thanks for sharing, tried this recipe and everyone loved it. Thanks Ruchi.
You are welcome Neha. Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Hello Ruchi,
First if all thnx for all d hum yum stuff !!
Tried these ladoos n try turned out great ! Also tried cheese corn balls and nachos platters which was a hit ! Thnx again
I stay in London and have a massive frequency of guests travelling yo my house especially from India, therefore I would appreciate. If you could please give some snacks apoetizer n main course -vegetarian dishes which can be made in advance in be frozen ,
I look forward to your response !
Thanks a ton
Thanks Khush for your lovely comments! Glad you liked the Ram ladoo recipe. There are many main course dishes that you can make ahead of time and freeze. Like - Rajma, Mutter paneer, Plak paneer, kadai paneer, Veggie kofte - make the curry and fry the koftas, freeze them and assemble at the last minute. Check out my main course section for more veggie options - https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/category/recipes/main-course/
Like wise for appetizers - Aloo tikki, paneer tikka, potato balls, aloo bonda can be prepared in advance. https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/category/recipes/appetizer/
Hope that helps!
Yummy post! dish itself is so mouthwatering, feel like grabbing your plate. I am sure u and ur family must have enjoyed every bite of it. My favorite and will be trying these out soon. The pictures looks very tempting and beauty of colors.
Thanks for such lovely feedback! Glad you liked the recipe! Yes my family devoured these yummy Ram ladoos. Do give it a try and I am sure your family will like it as well. 🙂
I really don't have the patience to do such an elaborate cooking but hat's off to you girl, this recipe is amazingly mouth watering. Had been to Delhi couple of time on a business trip and tried these ones. They were very spicy but I managed to finish the whole bowl, they were so so good. After that didn't tried these again. You reminded me the yummy flavor but yours look less spicier. Good luck and all the best with your blog!! Just had to share. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience with me Stephaine! I agree these Ram ladoos are so yummy that you don't mind the spiciness and end up eating the whole bowl. Once again thanks for stopping by and for your lovely wishes, they are always welcomed. 🙂