Daanyaachey Laadoo (Daan-yaa-ch-ay Laa-doo), the delicious protein-rich snack that is much-loved in Maharashtra, is so very easy to make. These sweet little crushed peanut balls are simply perfect when you are peckish and want just a bit of something. It will be sure make you smile as you pop one in your mouth and go about your business. Or, perhaps, take a break and relish each little bite, with a cup of Chai/Coffee.
My Dad, with his sweet tooth and great love of peanuts, was perhaps the reason my Mom made them so often. These memories are extra special today – Mom and Dad were married 72 years ago on this date. So I thought of posting this delightful recipe to celebrate them both on their special day.
Laadoo – Laddoo – Ladu – simply Yum!
Widely beloved all across the Indian peninsula, their regional names might vary a little, but what’s in a name, after all? There are so many kinds of Laadoos, sweet and decadent, each with a multitude of variations, that it would be impossible to describe them all. Walk into an Indian Mithai (Mitt-ha-ee) shop (specialty dessert shops) – and you will likely see a staggering array of Laadoos. Hmm…. which one to buy?
It seems Indian folks make Laadoos and various other desserts with just about anything – various types of grains and beans, most commonly, but also some that incorporate vegetables and fruits. Common factor: they typically have Ghee (clarified butter) and nuts, and many also have other milk-based ingredients like Khoa (Kho-aa) and Paneer (Pun-nee-r).
So, if you’re looking for vegan and nut-free Laadoos, that can be a serious challenge for a chef! That said, of course it is possible to make delicious Laadoos with various alternative ingredients to meed special dietary needs.
Daanyaachey Laadoo – Crushed Peanuts, Gud/Gul and Ghee
Daanyaachey Laadoo, with only 4 ingredients, is perhaps one of the easiest kinds of Laadoos to make. My Mom would whip up a good-sized batch in about 15-20 min, because she almost always had all the ingredients stocked. I would watch her, a bit impatiently, just waiting for the moment when I could devour it!
She placed the crushed roasted peanuts in a large bowl, added finely chopped Gul (Gool), also called Gud (Good) / Jaggery (Jagg-er-ee), and freshly ground green cardamon seeds. She used her hands to mix everything, squeezing the mixture in her palms as she mixed. I watched the mixture change from a loose powdery texture to one that began to look a little more sticky as she worked it, forming little clumps when she released it from her palms, ready to work another section of the mixture.
She explained to me that the squeezing action released the oil from the crushed peanuts, which helped the mixture come together more easily and form the clumpy texture. I later realized that it was also the warmth of her hands that released the oil from the nuts more easily.
She then added Ghee, called Toop (soft ‘T’ sound – as in think) in Marathi, a little at a time, while continuing her squeezing action. After she thought she might have added enough Ghee, she would check to see if a small portion of the mixture could be shaped into a tight ball – a Laadoo. If not, she would add just a bit more Ghee and then proceed to make the Laadoos.
Gul… Gud… Jaggery…. Sweet and golden
If you cannot find Gul where you live, you might use any variety of unrefined sugar available: Panela, Muscovado, Coconut palm sugar, etc. If none of these options are available either, you can certainly make these Laadoos with regular white cane sugar (see Recipe Notes for details). Of course, they will be much lighter in color, and their flavor will not be nearly as complex.
Shaping Laadoos – squeeze and turn in your hands to make tight balls
To make the Laadoos, one has to learn the technique. I learned by watching my Mom – my first attempts were not pretty – misshapen and crumbly, they looked awful when sitting next to her perfect little rounds. She just laughed and said, “It’s Ok, you’ll get better with practice”.
She placed a portion of the prepared mixture in her hands, squeezed tightly to make it all stick. Sometimes she also used her other hand to pack the mixture tight. Then she turned and rotated this packed mixture in her hands, continuing to squeeze gently as she did so, to make a tight little ball. I would watch, mesmerized as it transformed from a crumbly, rough-surfaced glob, to a smooth and slightly shiny Laadoo.
My scientifically inclined mind makes me think about why this happens. Here’s my take: the warmth from her hands keeps the Ghee and the peanut-oil “melted”. The light pressure from the squeezing helps the melted Ghee and oil ooze to the surface of the clump, while packing the solids within and making the Laadoo look smooth and shiny on top.
As for the shape… well, like she reassured me, practice was, indeed, the best way to master the technique. I find myself repeating my Mom’s words when I’m trying to teach a newbie how make Laadoos.
Special Diets
These Laadoos, which are also suitable to be had on Upvas days (religious fasts), are vegetarian and soy-free. They are not vegan, since they contain Ghee. However, if you wish, you can replace the Ghee with Coconut oil. I recommend adding extra cardamom if you do so to enhance flavor. Since peanuts are the main ingredient, they are not suitable for folks with nut allergies.
If you do need to watch your sugar and/or fat intake, be aware that each little ball is pretty calorie-dense. While each Laadoo packs a hefty 3g protein and is not especially high in sugar (6g sugar per Ladoo – that’s about 1 1/2 tsp), it is certainly pretty high in fat (10g fat per Laadoo). So, be smart and try to do as my Dad always advised, “enjoy…. in moderation!” Easier said than done, of course!
Make these delicious Daanyaachey Laadoo soon and watch them vanish, leaving happy smiles in their wake!
If you’re a Laadoo-lover like my Dad (and me!), perhaps you would also like to check out the other Laadoo recipes I’ve posted here – Alivaachey Laadoo and Dinkachey Laadoo.
Do leave a review and a rating. Much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Daanyaachey Laadoo – make an easy protein-rich snack
Equipment
- Electric chopper/blender, or manual nut-crusher to crush roasted peanuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup Crushed roasted unsalted peanuts if not available, start by roasting raw peanuts – see Recipe Notes for detailed directions
- 1/4 cup Jaggery powder Gul / Gud; if powdered form is not available, use Gul chunks -see Recipe Notes for directions; if Jaggery is not available, see Recipe Notes for alternatives
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground green cardamom powder collect seeds from 4-5 green cardamom pods
- 2 tbsp Ghee – melted preferred
Instructions
- Crush de-skinned roasted peanuts (unsalted) in a chopper, blender or manual nut-crusher to a coarse powder.
- Place crushed roasted peanuts (unsalted) and powdered Gul (Gud / Jaggery) in a wide, shallow mixing bowl.If de-skinned, unsalted roasted peanuts are not available, see Recipe Notes for detailed directions for starting from raw, unroasted peanuts.If powdered Gul is not available, carefully slice a slab of Gul. After slicing, chop finely and use.as directed.
- Remove cardamom seeds from the green pods. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. Gently pound/crush the seeds to a coarse powder.
- Add the crushed cardamom powder to the peanut-Jaggery mixture and mix.
- Firmly squeeze small portions of the mixture in your palms repeating as you work through the whole mixture.
- It will form crumbly clumps of mixture that disintegrate quite easily.
- Drizzle Ghee over this mixture – melted Ghee works best for easy incorporation into the Ladoo mixture. If the Ghee is solid, melt it by warming it for a few seconds in the microwave/stove-top.
- Using your hands, mix the Ghee well. Pick up a fistful and squeeze, to see if it binds easily. If not, add 1-2 tsp more Ghee. After squeezing hard, the mixture should hold together as a rough-looking clump.Note: If there isn't enough Ghee in the mixture, the Laadoos will crumble and fall apart while shaping.If you don't want to add extra Ghee, just save the crumbly mixture in a container with a well-fitting lid. Serve it as is – about 2 tbsp serving size.
- Take a small portion (about 2 tbsp) in your palm. Squeeze tightly with your fist to bind. Gently turn and rotate in your palm, while continuing to squeeze lightly, to shape into smooth, tight balls. The surface will become smooth as you continue to squeeze and rotate, and develop a sheen from the Ghee and peanut oil oozing to the surface.Repeat with the rest of the Laadoo mixture. Makes 9-10 small Laadoos.
- Serve and enjoy with Chai/Coffee and other snacks.
Notes
If unsalted roasted peanuts are not available:
Start from raw peanuts: see detailed directions with pictures here (from the recipe for Quick Peanut Chutney)- Roast raw peanuts on medium heat in heavy bottom wok or frying pan until you see light brown spots and smell the aroma of roasted peanuts.
- Set aside to cool.
- Rub the peanuts between your fingers to loosen and release the papery skin.
- Transfer to a large plate and gently toss the peanuts to collect the fluffy skins to one side of the plate. Discard the skins and repeat the tossing action until all the skins have been removed.
- Crush the peanuts to a coarse powder (use pulse action) in a chopper, blender or manual nut-grinder.
If powdered Jaggery (Gul) is not available:
Try any of the following alternatives. Note that each will bring its own distinctive flavor, which, although a bit different from Jaggery, will still be excellent. You might need to process them first- either by hand, or in a grinder to a fine crumb texture. Otherwise. the ladoos will not have a smooth sweetness- will be crunchy – not quite what we want.- Jaggery slab/chunks: the flavor same as with Jaggery powder
- carefully slice thinly, then chop finely to resemble fine crumbs.
- measure after crumbling
- Panela/ Piloncillo
- carefully slice thinly, then chop finely to resemble fine crumbs
- measure after crumbling
- Muscovado – use as is, or you may need to grind to a coarse powder first
- Coconut Palm sugar – powdered
- Date sugar – powdered
- Brown sugar –
- may need to grind to a coarse powder
- Granulated white sugar – must grind to a coarse powder first
- measure after crumbling
- NOTE:
- powdered confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) is not suitable, because it has anti-caking agents (like cornstarch) that leave a “raw” taste that detracts from the desired taste of the Laadoos.
For Vegan Laadoos:
- Use Coconut oil, cold-pressed almond oil or cold-pressed walnut oil instead of Ghee for binding the Laadoos.
- the texture will be a bit softer with almond/walnut oil, because these oils will not become solid upon standing.
- Add a little extra cardamom powder to enhance flavor
- Or, if you like, add a pinch of nutmeg powder (less than 1/8 tsp) instead of extra cardamom.
How to store Daanyaachey Laadoo:
- Store the Laadoos in a container with an well-fitting lid, at room temperature or in the refrigerator
- Consume within 1-2 weeks.
- You can also freeze them if you like, in a container with an well-fitting lid
- Okay for several weeks, maybe longer
“enjoy…. in moderation!,” words to live by. Was your father versed in Aristotelian philosophy, or just a happy coincidence?! He was so wise, too. May I suggest a section of collected sayings/teachings from your parents? I greatly enjoy learning them from the narrative, but I am working rather slowly through all the blog.
I don’t know about Aristotlian philosophy, but his advice was always worth heeding! Especially regarding the simple matters of everyday living! Feel so grateful for being raised with his wisdom and outlook.