Recipe- Festivals Are Incomplete Without Sweet Boondi

Festivities in India are incomplete without sweet boondi!

These tiny sweet round balls are made of besan and dipped in sugar syrup. They are often offered as prasad (offering) in temples in India.

I couldn’t wait any longer to share my Diwali recipe with you guys!Well, the fact is that I have so many lined up that I have to start sharing now else I won’t be able to share all of them.

Hope it’s not too early?

Well, it’s never too early for sweets right?Do you guys love boondi? I have very fond memories associate with this sweet.My dad used to go to temples on Tuesdays religiously and the main prasad that was offered to Lord Hanuman (Tuesday is his day!) was boondi.

So every Tuesday he would bring sweet boondis while returning back home and I would be so excited to feast on those sweet boondi immediately!

Ingredients

1 cup besan 120 grams, gram flour
pinch baking soda
1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons water divided
oil for frying
1 cup sugar 200 grams
3/4 cup water 6 oz/180 ml
orange food color optional
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 whole cloves

Method

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

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

* Heat oil or ghee in a kadai/wok on medium-high heat. I used a mix of oil and ghee to fry boondi.

* Place the ladle 3 to 4 inches above the surface of oil (not very high else boondi will have tail).

* Once oil is hot, pour batter into the ladle, do not spread by spoon. Let it fall on its own.

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

* Fry for 30 to 40 seconds, do not over cook. Remove the boondi immediately from hot oil.

* 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, boondi won't be round.

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

* 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 color if using (optional).

* 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.

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

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

* Sweet boondi is ready to serve.