Tasty treats: 5 winter laddu recipes for warmth and immunity

Homemade laddus are nostalgia packed in a ball. For some, it may evoke fond memories of their nani and dadi. This is why, amidst a pool of sweets, most of us find comfort in this winter staple. Munching on this winter delight throughout the cold months not only gives our growling stomachs and sweet cravings some relief, but keeps us up with the nourishment. Well, laddus are so famed in Indian households that every house has its own special laddu recipes. However, one may often find themselves looking for a recipe that will steer away the winter blues!

If you’re somebody who is on the lookout to shout the last hurrah at this biting cold, here is a compilation of your favorite laddu recipes. Eat them with tea, send them to your loved ones or make these for your kids. They never cease to amaze!

Here are 5 healthy laddu recipes for you:

1. Gond laddu

There are many varieties to follow but nothing takes the first spot as gond laddus. Loaded with nutrients, these laddus will melt your stiff joints and strengthen your spine. Not to forget, they boost immunity as we need it more than anything now amidst Covid-19 threat.

Ingredients:

2 cup acacia gum
1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
1 cup magaz or muskmelon seeds
½ cup poppy seeds
1 cup Makhana or lotus seeds
Half pc dry coconut thinly sliced
2 cup sooji or semolina
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups ghee
2 cups gur or jaggery

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add ghee to it.
2. Lightly brown cashews, almonds, magaz and poppy seeds.
3. Remove them to a dish.
4. Add more ghee if needed.
5. Fry the makhana till crunchy and airy
6. Add more ghee, and fry the gond till it puffs up and gets crispy.
7. Put this mix in a grinder and coarse grind for 10 seconds.
8. You can use a mortar and pestle to grind them if you like your laddu crunchier.
9. Add some ghee to a pan and add suji and wheat flour.
10. Cook it till golden brown while stirring it constantly.
11. Once the flour gives out an earthy fragrance, take it out into a bowl.
12. Add the jaggery to a sauce pan and add a cup of water to make a sugary syrup.
13. Mix the nuts and flour in a big mixing bowl and pour the sugar syrup on it.
14. Incorporate all the ingredients.
15. For easy binding, roll the mix into laddus while hot.
16. Store these laddus in an airtight container.

Enjoy them as a perfect snack with tea or eat them as the first thing in the morning.

2. Dates and Anjeer Laddu

If you don’t have a date on Valentine’s day, be merry with these date and anjeer laddus. Excuse the pun, but these wholesome treats are diabetes friendly too. Loaded with iron and omega 3 and 6, the laddus are a guilt-free indulgence.

Ingredients:

100 gms almonds
100 gms cashew
100 gms pistachio
250 gms dates
50 gms anjeer
4 tbsp honey

Preparation:

1. Take a pan, put it on low flame. Put almonds, cashews, and pistas in the pan and dry roast them. Once roasted, remove them from the flame and keep them aside.
2. Now, remove the seeds from the dates, and roughly chop the anjeer. In the same pan, dry roast these two as well, until you get a pleasant aroma. Remove them from the flame, and keep them aside.
3. In a grinder, put all of the above ingredients, and roughly blend them. Use the pulse button for perfect consistency.
4. Remove the mix and add honey to it. Now, make the dough and bind them properly.
5. Now make small laddus, and enjoy your sugar-free mithai.

These crunchy delights make for the perfect accompaniments for tea.

3. Rose petals dry fruit laddu

Well, the royalty in you will be amused with this fancy treat. Dry fruits will give your body the much needed warmth from this biting cold. And, the sweetness will hit the sweet spot in your heart. Let’s begin!

Ingredients:

1 cup mixed nuts (Cashew, pistachios and almonds)
100 gms coconut jaggery
1 tsp Ghee
1 tsp rose water
¼ cup Rose petals

Preparation:

1. Roast the nuts on medium flame and keep stirring for 5 minutes.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan and add jaggery to it, cook it on medium flame.
3. Heat it till the jaggery completely melts down and it starts bubbling.
4. Take the jaggery off of the stove, add nuts and rose water to the jaggery.
5. Mix all ingredients together and roll beautiful round laddus.
6. Spread some poppy seeds on to a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Gently roll all the laddus over the poppy seeds. They will stick to the laddus, giving them a chef’s kiss!
8. Once done, store in an air-tight container.

These laddus stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. These will help you flaunt your culinary skills in front of your guests.

4. Flaxseed laddus

This one’s a fitness freak’s delight. If your fitness goals keep you away from sweets, you can eat these nutritious and low calorie flaxseed laddus without overstepping your diet. An add-on? They are yum and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup flaxseeds
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 jaggery powder
4-5 cardamom pods
1-2 tsp ghee
2 tsp of water
Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Dry roast sesame and flax seeds.
2. When the seeds start to splutter, dry roast the coconut, until it turns golden brown.
3. Add the roasted seeds into a blender and grind into a fine powder or you can grind them coarsely.
4. Now add the roasted coconut, cardamom seeds, salt and blend roughly.
5. Into a pan, add jaggery and 2 tsp of water.
6. Once the jaggery melts and starts to thicken, add 1 tsp ghee and switch off the flame.
7. Add the ground mixture along with melted jaggery and mix it to combine.
8. Let the sticky mixture rest for 10 minutes and then roll them into laddus.
9. Store these finger-licking good laddus in an air-tight container and enjoy these healthy sweet indulgences as a post meal dessert or a mid-meal snack.

5. Ragi and coconut laddus

Perfect for the diabetes patients and weight watchers, this laddu recipe is sure to strike a chord or two. Ragi is a great source of fibre which has a very low glycemic index. That’s why it is a fab choice when it comes to diabetes and weight loss diet. Want more? They don’t have any refined sugar in them and they are packed with protein. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

250 gm ragi flour
100 gm grated raw coconut
Crushed dry fruits of your choice
3 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp organic honey
4 tbsp jaggery powder
Ghee (just for greasing the pan)

Preparation:

1. Take a pan and put it on low flame. Once the pan is hot, grease it with ghee. Add ragi flour and roast it till it’s colour changes and you start getting its aroma.
2. Now take the pan off the heat and scrape the ragi flour in a separate bowl and let it cool down.
3. Mix the roasted ragi flour and grated coconut in a bowl, until well-combined. Now add the dry fruits, peanut butter, honey, and jaggery powder and make a dough.
4. Make small balls from this dough, roll them in some grated coconut and your delicious plate of oh-so healthy ragi laddus is ready.

   Now that you have 5 laddu recipes to choose from this winter, try them. These won’t just curtail your sugar cravings and peckish feelings but give you a nutritional kick in return. Happy munching!