Moong Dal Ladoo (Sweet Lentil Flour Balls)
Roasted moong dal ground with cardamom, sweetened, and bound with ghee, cashews, and raisins into soft little balls. A protein-rich festive treat.
Ingredients
- 200 g moong dal, split and skinned7.05 oz moong dal, split and skinned
- 150 g sugar5.29 oz sugar
- 4 each green cardamom, pods
- 90 ml ghee6.09 tbsp ghee
- 20 g cashews, split0.71 oz cashews, split
- raisins (optional)
Steps
Roast and Grind
- Dry roast the moong dal in a pan over medium-low heat until it turns deep golden and smells nutty, about 8 minutes.
- Stir the cardamom pods into the hot dal to release their aroma, then let everything cool completely.
- Grind the cooled dal and cardamom to a coarse powder, stopping before it turns flour-fine so the ladoo stay light.
- Grind the sugar to a fine powder in the same jar and set it aside.
Fry the Nuts
- Heat the ghee in a pan, then spoon 2 tablespoons into a small bowl and keep it aside for later.
- Fry the cashews in the remaining ghee until golden, then add the raisins and fry until they plump up.
Shape the Ladoo
- Turn off the heat, add the ground dal and the powdered sugar, and mix well until evenly combined.
- Let the mixture cool for a minute, then press small portions firmly between your fingers to form balls.
- If the mixture does not hold together, stir in the reserved ghee and shape the balls again.
- Cool the ladoo completely, then store them in an airtight jar at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 111
- Protein
- 3g
- Fat
- 3g
- Carbs
- 18g
Tips by age
These are a sweet treat, so offer only a small taste occasionally. Grind the cashews and raisins finely into the mixture and press the ladoo into a soft patty for this age.
Choking safety: Whole cashews and whole raisins are choking hazards under 4. Grind them into the mix or leave them out entirely for this age.
Offer a small portion as an occasional sweet. Grind the cashews and raisins finely into the mixture and keep each ladoo small and soft so it crumbles easily.
Choking safety: Whole cashews and whole raisins are choking hazards under 4. Grind them into the mix rather than leaving pieces whole.
Serve a small ladoo as an occasional treat. Finely chop or grind the cashews and raisins into the mixture and offer with water nearby.
Choking safety: Whole cashews and whole raisins are choking hazards under 4. Chop or grind them into the mixture.
Serve one small ladoo as a treat. Halving it makes it easier to manage, and you can still keep the nuts finely chopped for younger ones in this range.
Choking safety: For children closer to 3, finely chop the cashews and raisins since whole pieces can be a choking hazard under 4.
Serve one or two ladoo as written for an after-school treat. They are sweet, so keep portions small.
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