Motichoor Laddoo

Ingredients

• 1 kg fine gram flour
• Ghee for deep frying + for greasing
• 1.8 kg sugar
• A large pinch of saffron
• 1 teaspoon edible orange food colour
• 4 tablespoons liquid glucose
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
• 1 cup cucumber seeds
• ½ cup blanched, peeled and sliced pistachios + to sprinkle
• Silver varqfor garnish

Method

1. Sift gram flour through a fine sieve into large bowl. Add 1.5 litres water gradually and whisk to make a smooth batter.
2. Heat ghee in a large kadai. Pass the batter, in batches, through a big fine sieve directly into ghee and deep-fry till crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. These are boondis.
3. Heat another kadai, add sugar, 1.4 litres water, saffron and edible orange food colour, mix and cook till sugar dissolves.
4. Add liquid glucose and mix well. Switch off the heat, add fried boondi and mix well.
5. Add green cardamom powder, switch on the heat, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Switch the heat off, cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
7. Transfer onto another large kadai, spread and allow to cool completely.
8. Add cucumber seeds and blanched pistachios and mix well.
9. Grease 2 big semicircle silicon moulds with ghee. Fill them up with the laddoo mixture and press well.
10. Turn one mould upside down on the other and gently remove the upper mould. Turn this upside down onto bigger paper cups and gently remove the second mould.
11. Garnish with silver varq, sprinkle blanched pistachios on top and serve.