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Motichoor ladoo on a plate
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4.82 from 16 votes

Motichoor Ladoo

Indian sweets and desserts are a pure representation of happiness and excitement, and Motichoor Ladoos are the special ones among them. They truly uplift the aura of any celebration or festivity! Their heavenly and luscious taste naturally renders festive vibes, and one can never overcome the bliss that it derives!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 16
Calories: 77kcal
Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

FOR BOONDIS

SUGAR SYRUP PREPARATION

ASSEMBLING LADOOS

Instructions

SUGAR SYRUP PREPARATION

  • Combine sugar and water into a wide pan.
    Combine sugar + water in a pan
  • Bring it to a boil and add lemon juice to prevent crystallization.
    Add rosewater
  • Add saffron strands and cardamom powder to the cooking sugar syrup.
    Add cardamom powder
  • Allow the sugar syrup to simmer over medium heat until it reaches one-string consistency. It will take 7-10 minutes to get one string consistency.
    Make one-string syrup
  • Check consistency – take some cooled sugar syrup between your fingers, press the fingers down, and now open your fingers; if it forms a thick string between your fingers without breaking – sugar syrup is ready to use. Cover and set it aside.
    How to make a 1-string sugar syrup - Ruchiskitchen

PREPARE BOONDI

  • Combine besan, food color, and a teaspoon of ghee in a mixing bowl.
    Combine besan and dry ingredients
  • Add a little water at first and make a lump-free thick batter.
    Add water
  • Slowly and gradually add water to make a smooth, lump-free, and pourable batter.
    PROTIP – If the batter is of the right consistency, it will fall into the oil as even-sized tiny droplets resulting in perfect motichoor boondi.
    Consistency of batter
  • Since I didn’t have the right motichoor jhara, I converted my size 2 boondi jhara to a size 0 by wrapping it in aluminum foil.
    Motichoor Ladoo Jhara wrap in foil
  • If you plan to use this method, please make sure the foil is tightly secured around the jhara.
    Wrap jhara in foil
  • Then, using a push-pin, I created tiny holes through the jhara. This effectively served the purpose and helped me make my best Motichur Ladoos!
    Make tiny holes in motichoor jhara
  • Heat oil in a pan. Always use a wide kadhai to fry the boondis. The kadhai should be wider than the size of the jhara. This way, when you tap the jhara over the kadhai, the batter falls straight into the kadhai rather than on the edges.
    Heat oil in a pan
  • To check that, drop a little batter in the oil; if it gently floats to the top, the oil is ready.
    Drop a pea size batter
  • While frying the boondi, create a higher platform so that the jhara is 3-4 inches above the oil.
    hold jhara over oil
  • I used a container lined with a thick cloth and then placed the jhara on top to support it.
    Placement of Jhara over the kadhai
  • Once the ghee/oil is hot, pour the batter through this jhara. Shake it vigorously (up and down) over the oil so that the whole batter drops through those holes as tiny droplets. Once the boondi is in oil, you have very little time.
    Fry them for a minute, then remove them immediately before the boondis start to change color. Do not over-fry the boondis.
    PROTIP – The thick cloth underneath the container acts as a cushion when you vigorously shake the jhara over oil to drop the batter in the oil.
    Make sure the handle of the jhara is resting over the container and does not come in close contact with the hot oil in the kadhai.
    Pour batter in boondi jhara
  • Use a fat skimmer to collect the fried boondis.
    PROTIP – We do not need crisp boondi for motichoor. Since they are very tiny in size, they will cook fast; therefore, be quick in removing the motichoor boondi from oil at the right time.
    A crisp boondi is not good for motichoor ladoos.
    Fry motichoor boondi
  • You can also use a tea strainer, but it has a small handle. A fat skimmer with a long handle works the best.
    Drain motichoor boondi
  • Always drain fried boondi onto a paper-lined plate to ensure that extra oil is drained from the boondis. Spread the boondi in a single layer over the paper napkin to drain maximum oil. To prevent the fried boondi from drying out, cover the boondi with a lid while you fry the whole batch.
    Fried motichoor boondi
  • Perfectly shaped motichoor boondis are ready for the sugar syrup.
    Size of motichoor boondi
  • During the last leg of frying, my besan batter became thick, and it spread between the holes of funnel-shaped jhara resulting in some large-sized boondis. If this happens with you too, do not discard these boondi; transfer them to a food processor and pulse them into smaller pieces.
    Pulse motichoor boondi
  • Lightly pulse big pieces and then add them to the remaining boondi.
    Pulse boondi for few seconds

ASSEMBLE MOTICHOOR LADOOS

  • If the sugar syrup has cooled down, bring it to a quick boil. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, then add the fried motichoor boondis to this pan.
    Add motichoor boondi to warm syrup
  • Cook the boondi for 1-2 minutes at the lowest setting, stirring continuously. This way, the boondi will become soft and soak in the sugar syrup.
    PROTIP – Do not cook for long as overcooking will result in dry boondi ladoo.
    Mix motichoor boondi with syrup
  • Take the pan off the heat and add slivered pistachios and melon seeds. Cover the pan and let it rest for an additional 1-2 minutes.
    Cover motichoor mixture
  • After that, uncover the pan and allow the motichoor mixture to cool slightly. When comfortable enough to touch, take a golf-sized mix into your palms and roll them into spherical-shaped ladoos.
    Repeat the same with the remaining mix and shape all the ladoos.
  • Motichoor ladoos also have a long shelf life and can be made in advance for any celebration or event.
    Motichoor ladoos are ready

Video

Notes

 

Frequently asked questions

 
What is the perfect temperature for frying boondi?
Having the right temperature is imperative when you drop boondi in the oil. If the boondi begins to float on the oil after some time, it confirms the perfect temperature.
 
How can I store the Motichur ladoos?
Motichur Ladoos have a long shelf life. The ladoos solidify after being shaped and cooled to room temperature. They stay perfect at room temperature for 8 -10 days and for a month in the fridge.
 
Can I freeze Motichoor Ladoo?
Absolutely, you can! Motichoor ladoos freeze well for about a month when stored in a freezer-safe container.
 
What can I do if my Ladoos have turned hard?
Bringing the Motichur ladoos back to their soft deliciousness is super easy. Just crush them again, add some ghee, warm the mix, and re-shape them. It’s that easy!!
 
Why do my boondis turn flat?
During the frying process, you may end up with some flat balls of boondi. There are three basic tricks to attain the perfectly puffed up boondi —
  • First, ensure that the consistency of the batter is thick yet flowing. Runny batter will result in flat boondi.
  • Second, ensure that the oil temperature is perfect when you make the boondi. Perfect means a low-medium temperature where the pearls/ boondi start floating soon after a while when the batter is put in the hot oil.
  • Third, hold the jhara above the kadhai/frying pan, resulting in small round boondis.
 
Even if you get some sticky boondi lumps in the oil – no worries, fry till crisp, and once added to the sugar syrup, you can break them apart.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg