This is my first post for 2014 so I thought I should start with something sweet.
Gond is an edible gum. Gond laddu is a traditional Rajasthani sweet usually consumed during winter as it generates heat in the body.
Gond is considered to have several healing properties especially post delivery. But khoya is eliminated from the recipe for those mothers who have recently given birth to a baby. It is also very good for lactating mothers.
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1. gond has to be fried properly and after that picking up some of the unpopped gond is also very important else you will end up with laddus where gond keeps sticking to your teeth. And trust me this spoils the whole taste.
2. The laddu has to be moist and not too dry or hard, this depends on the sugar syrup consistency.
ingredients:
250g gond/edible gum
300g desiccated coconut (I Prefer fresh khopra, remove the skin and cut into pieces and run in a mixie)
450g maida
50g fine semolina
500g fresh khoya
900g sugar
1/4cup milk+ 4 tbspwater
Ghee for frying (approx 500g)
7 cardamoms
1 cup boiling water
for garnishing a few almonds and pistachios
silver foil optional
1. Spread the gond in a metal plate and keep in sun for about 30 min to 1 hr. Don't leave for long. This will remove the moisture and reduce the chances of having unpopped gum while frying.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and put a tbsp of gum in it. The gum starts popping and it immediately rises up. Carefully but quickly strain it from the ghee(before it turns red) with a strainer without disturbing the lower layer, as the unpopped gum if any will settle down in the ghee. Fry the remaining gum similarly. You can use more ghee as required. I know its a difficult process but after one or two tries you will gain mastery over it.
3.Allow the ghee to cool. By that time start picking up unpopped or deep red coloured gum from the fried gum.
4. Grate the khoya and keep aside.
5. Strain the ghee. Take a heavy bottomed pan (you can wipe and use the same pan). Add the flour and semolina and add enough strained ghee needed to saute the flour. On a slow flame keep roasting the flour stirring continuously until it starts releasing aroma. It will take near about 30 to 40 min.
6. Once the flour is roasted, add khoya and roast again for about 10 min. Be careful as it will stick to the bottom very quickly, so keep stirring.
7. Now add khopra(dry coconut) and saute for another five min. Allow to cool.
For the sugar syrup:
8. Take sugar in a pan and pour water just enough to cover the sugar. Switch on the gas and dissolve the sugar.
9. Once the sugar syrup starts frothing add milk and water mixture slowly to it. And allow it to boil on high flame without disturbing.
10. Now you can see the scum collecting to the sides of the pan. Remove the dirt with a ladle. After removing all the scum you can see a clear sugar syrup.
11. Now boil it until you get a multiple thread consistency, this you can check by taking a drop of the syrup in between your thumb and index finger and press it a few times, if you see more than two threads, its ready.
Remove from fire and Add crushed cardamom seeds to it. Keep stirring the syrup continuously for 5 min.
Final touch:
12. At this stage keep the boiling water ready. Slowly add the sugar syrup to the mixture and mix well. Add the boiling water quickly to it and mix thoroughly. Add the fried gond to the flour mixture (the mixture should be cool). If cutting into squares(chakki) reserve a little gond for topping.mixvwell and add almond and pistachios to this mixture, if preparing chakkis than you can reserve it for topping.
13. Now either make small balls(laddus) out of this mixture by pressing in between your palms while warm or flatten into a greased tin to make chakkis. For chakki top with the fried gum and nuts and press lightly or alternatively you can put a silver foil on top of it.
To cut into squares make lines with a knife while warm. After cooling carefully release the squares with a spatula one by one.
14. Store in airtight boxes.
my entry for
50g fine semolina
500g fresh khoya
900g sugar
1/4cup milk+ 4 tbspwater
Ghee for frying (approx 500g)
7 cardamoms
1 cup boiling water
for garnishing a few almonds and pistachios
silver foil optional
1. Spread the gond in a metal plate and keep in sun for about 30 min to 1 hr. Don't leave for long. This will remove the moisture and reduce the chances of having unpopped gum while frying.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and put a tbsp of gum in it. The gum starts popping and it immediately rises up. Carefully but quickly strain it from the ghee(before it turns red) with a strainer without disturbing the lower layer, as the unpopped gum if any will settle down in the ghee. Fry the remaining gum similarly. You can use more ghee as required. I know its a difficult process but after one or two tries you will gain mastery over it.
3.Allow the ghee to cool. By that time start picking up unpopped or deep red coloured gum from the fried gum.
4. Grate the khoya and keep aside.
5. Strain the ghee. Take a heavy bottomed pan (you can wipe and use the same pan). Add the flour and semolina and add enough strained ghee needed to saute the flour. On a slow flame keep roasting the flour stirring continuously until it starts releasing aroma. It will take near about 30 to 40 min.
6. Once the flour is roasted, add khoya and roast again for about 10 min. Be careful as it will stick to the bottom very quickly, so keep stirring.
7. Now add khopra(dry coconut) and saute for another five min. Allow to cool.
For the sugar syrup:
8. Take sugar in a pan and pour water just enough to cover the sugar. Switch on the gas and dissolve the sugar.
9. Once the sugar syrup starts frothing add milk and water mixture slowly to it. And allow it to boil on high flame without disturbing.
10. Now you can see the scum collecting to the sides of the pan. Remove the dirt with a ladle. After removing all the scum you can see a clear sugar syrup.
11. Now boil it until you get a multiple thread consistency, this you can check by taking a drop of the syrup in between your thumb and index finger and press it a few times, if you see more than two threads, its ready.
Remove from fire and Add crushed cardamom seeds to it. Keep stirring the syrup continuously for 5 min.
Final touch:
12. At this stage keep the boiling water ready. Slowly add the sugar syrup to the mixture and mix well. Add the boiling water quickly to it and mix thoroughly. Add the fried gond to the flour mixture (the mixture should be cool). If cutting into squares(chakki) reserve a little gond for topping.mixvwell and add almond and pistachios to this mixture, if preparing chakkis than you can reserve it for topping.
13. Now either make small balls(laddus) out of this mixture by pressing in between your palms while warm or flatten into a greased tin to make chakkis. For chakki top with the fried gum and nuts and press lightly or alternatively you can put a silver foil on top of it.
To cut into squares make lines with a knife while warm. After cooling carefully release the squares with a spatula one by one.
14. Store in airtight boxes.
my entry for
Nice post Sunita. The pics are really tempting me to make this. but your caution on perfectionists going wrong is dragging. Any way i will try this with a small scale.
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