Daanyaachey Laadoo - make an easy protein-rich snack
Mix crushed roasted peanuts, powdered Jaggery (Gud, Gul) and crushed cardamon. Add Ghee and mix well. Take small portions of mixture in your palms - squeeze your fist to bind the mixture, then turn while gently squeezing, to shape into smooth and tight round balls - Laadoos. Serve as a snack or light dessert. Enjoy!
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
Nutrition
Calories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
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