Sweet Boondi Recipe

Tiny sweet balls made of besan (gram flour) are often offered as prasad (offering) in temples in India!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup besan 120 grams, gram flour

• pinch baking soda

• 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoon water

• Ghee for frying

For sugar syrup

•  1 cup sugar 200 grams

•  3/4 cup water 6 oz/180 ml

•  orange food colour optional

•  1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sift besan into a large bowl. Add a pinch of baking soda and 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons water and mix to form a free-flowing batter.

2. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and then the remaining 1 tablespoon of water and mix. The batter is now ready.

3. Heat ghee in a kadai/wok on medium-high heat. Place the ladle 3 to 4 inches above the surface of the oil (not very high else the boondi will have a tail). Once ghee is hot, pour batter into the ladle, do not spread by spoon. Let it fall on its own.

4. Move the ladle around the kadai as the batter falls, so that boondis don’t clump together and spread well.

5. Fry for 30 to 40 seconds, do not overcook. Remove the boondi immediately from the hot oil.

6. For the next batch, wash your ladle and wipe it dry. Then repeat the same process. If you don’t wipe the ladle after each batch, the boondi won’t be round.

Fry in batches until the batter is over. Keep all the fried boondi on a plate.

7. To make the sugar syrup, heat 1 cup sugar (200 grams) with 3/4 cup water (6 oz/180 ml) on medium heat.

Add food colour if using (optional).

8. Let the sugar dissolve. Then let it boil for 3 minutes (not cooking for any string consistency here). Add the cardamom powder and also add whole cloves.

9. Turn off the heat and add the fried boondi. Mix well.

10. Cover the pan and let the boondi sit until it soaks all the sugar syrup (chasni). Stir the boondi every 1 hour or so. Let sit overnight.

11. Sweet boondi is ready to serve!

Source: Cookwith Manali

Join Sneh Chaudhry in Mahekta Aanchal from 9 am to 2 pm on Radio Sargam on 103.4FM in Suva to Nausori Corridor, Central Division, Nadi, Lautoka & Labasa, 103.2FM in Sigatoka, Coral Coast, Ba, Vatukoula, Tavua & Savusavu and 103.8FM in Rakiraki.