Boondi Laddu

1. ***NOTE: Using gram measurements instead of volume measurements really helps this recipe come out precisely****

Make boondi batter

1. Sift the 1¼ cups (110 g) besan flour with a fine mesh sieve so that there are no lumps. Make sure to measure the besan flour once sifted if you are using cup measurements.
2. Add 1/16 teaspoon baking powderand a pinch salt to the besan flour and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
3. Add ½ cup (110 g) water to the dry mixture and mix with your hands to break up any lumps. The final batter should be loose, free-flowing, and lump-free.

Frying boondi

1. In a heavy bottomed, wide, and deep pan, add enough oil to fill the pan 3 inches in depth. Heat the oil to 350F. The oil should always stay in the range of 350 - 375 when frying. The temperature of the oil will drop between fry cycles, so see that the oil gets to 350 degrees each time you start frying again. Keep a sheet tray lined with a paper towel beside the oil for transferring the fried boondi.
2. Use either a slotted spoon or a squeeze bottle to form small boondi balls in the oil. Slotted spoon: Hold it about 2 inches above the oil, pour in some batter, and move the spoon around in circular motions so droplets fall evenly and don’t clump in one spot. Wipe the spoon if holes clog. Squeeze bottle: Fill with batter and squeeze tiny droplets in a single layer while moving the bottle around the pot.
3. Fry the boondi for ~1 minute at 350F until the boondi or circles are formed. The boondi balls will be a pale corn yellow color, should hold their shape, and be slightly crunchy but not turn brown. Use a slotted spoon or a heat-proof fine mesh strainer to fish out the boondi, take care to drain the excess oil over the pot, and transfer to the paper lined sheet tray.
4. Repeat steps 3-4 until all the batter is gone.

Fry nuts

1. Add the ¼ cup (33 g) cashew halves to a fine-mesh strainer and submerge it in hot oil, using it as a basket to evenly fry the cashews until they turn golden brown.

Make the syrup

1. In a small cup add ~30 strands saffron with two tablespoons of lukewarm water in a cup and set it aside so that it blooms and releases its color.
2. Add the ½ cup (121 g) water, 1 cup (212 g) sugar, ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder, and bloomed saffron to a medium saucepan on medium heat and bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Be careful not to splash the syrup on the sides of the pan as it can cause the sugar to crystalize on the sides of the pan. Simmer the syrup until all of the sugar crystals are dissolved.
3. Turn the heat off, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice and stir. The lemon juice ensures the sugar does not crystalize. Keep the syrup warm.

Making the boondi in Laddu shape

1. Add in 1 tablespoon ghee and the fried boondi into the warm syrup and mix until everything is evenly coated. The syrup will look plentiful at first, but it will be absorbed as the boondi sits. If the syrup still remains after this time, simply scoop out the boondi with a slotted spoon and leave the excess syrup behind.
2. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid. Allow the boondi to cool for 30 minutes to allow the boondi to soak in the syrup. It should be cool enough to handle but still warm.
3. Transfer half of the soaked boondi to a food processor and pulse a few times. This breaks some of the boondi down, helping the mixture bind together when shaping into balls. If you still have trouble binding the ladoos, you can blitz the boondi even more to help form the ladoos.
4. Wear gloves, take about 2-3 tablespoons (45 grams) of the boondi mixture in your hand, and use pressure to squeeze the boondi into spheres or laddu. As it forms into a rough sphere, place a half of a cashew in the top and center of the laddu and finish forming it into the sphere. The ladoos while warm will feel softer than expected but as they sit the outside will harden and the inside will remain moist.
5. Laddu are best eaten at room temperature. If storing, they last in the fridge for ~5 days.