Boondi/Motichoor Ladoo

Ingredients:

For Boondi:
2 ½ cups Gram Flour (not superfine variety)
3 cups milk

A fine-holed Shallow Strainer Spoon
3 cups Ghee

For Syrup

2 1/2 cups Sugar

3 1/2 cups Water

2 tbsp. Milk
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder

Saffron or yellow food color

Other Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry milk powder

Syrup Preparation:

Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil. When sugar dissolves, add milk. Boil for 5 minutes till scum forms on top. Strain and return to fire. Boil until sticky but no thread has formed. Add cardamom powder & saffron and mix. Keep aside.

Boondi Preparation: 
Mix flour and milk to a smooth batter. Mix all the ingredients mentioned under boondi except ghee. Heat ghee in a heavy frying pan.  Hold strainer on top with one hand. With the other pour some batter all over the holes. Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot ghee. Stir with another strainer and remove when light golden. Keep aside. Repeat for remaining batter

Ladoo Preparation:
Crush half of the boondi with the back of a spoon. Immerse boondi in syrup. Drain any excess syrup. Spread in a large plate. Sprinkle little hot water over it. Cover and keep for 5 minutes. Add dry milk powder. Shape in ladoos with moist palms. Cool and keep open to dry, before storing in containers.

Optional: You can add dried nuts such as almonds or pistachios to the boondi mixture. Usually for Diwali, I divide my batches in half, add red and green food color to one half batch and then tie up the ladoos together. Will post up pictures after making them this year! Have fun!