Urad Dal Ladoo Recipe

Urad dal ladoo is a traditional south Indian sweet also called as Ulundu ladoo. It is made with ingredients like roasted urad dal flour, palm sugar (karupatti) for sweetness, ghee, cardamom, and a few cashews for a rich feel. Serves as a perfect evening snack, but is usually made during festivals like Diwali.

It has many health benefits since it is in protein. It is a great alternative to avoid white sugar. If you like the flavor of karupatti, you have to make this immediately and enjoy it for yourself. 

Urad Dal Ladoo

I am finishing my diwali posts with this ladoo. This is a healthy ladoos which is made with urad dal flour and karupatti. Since this has no sugar and karupatti is the sweetener it is really healthy. You can skip karupattai and add jaggery as well.

Jump to:

• About Urad Dal Ladoo
• Ingredients
• Hacks
• Urad Dal Ladoo (Step by Step Pictures)
• Expert Tips
• FAQ 
• Recipe Variations 
• 📖 Recipe Card

About Urad Dal Ladoo

To begin, melt the karupatti (palm sugar) with a small amount of water until smooth and liquid in consistency . The melted syrup is then filtered to remove any dirt and kept aside while we prepare the other ingredients. In another pan, heat a little amount of ghee and roast the cashews until it turns golden and keep it aside.

The leftover ghee in the pan is used to roast the urdal dal powder until the raw smell goes away and a nice flavor comes which takes about 5 to 7 minutes on low flame. After adding the filtered syrup, add the cardamom. Everything is then mixed and then add the cashews and let it cool gently, the warm mixture is molded into tight, round ladoos.

What I love about this sweet is how easy it is. There are only a few ingredients required and no hard or complex methods used . And the taste is rich from the urad dal, somewhat earthy from the palm sugar, and nutty from the ghee and peanuts. The texture is soft with crunch, and the sweetness is also balanced . 

Why This Recipe Works 

Roasting urad dal powder in ghee gives a rich flavor and removes the raw taste. Instead of white sugar here we use karupatti, it gives the richness and a thick caramel like sweetness to the recipe.

Frying the peanuts separately makes sure that they remain crisp and crunchy rather than mushy. Adding cardamom to the recipe gives a nice flavor to the ladoos. Mix in the hot syrup only until the dough is moist, this gives the shape and structure to the ladoo. 

Why I Like This Recipe - This reminds me of the ladoos my aachi used to make with the few ingredients available at my home yet we love them. It is also very good to consume during the menstruation period since give acts as a pain reliever and adds energy to your body. Also there is no white sugar added, you can eat it without feeling guilty. It's a great snack when you want to eat something rich but don't want to eat junk or fried food. I love the way my house smells when I roast the flour in ghee. 

Ingredients

Urad Dal Flour: This is the main base for the ladoos. It gives the ladoo its form and structure, which is rich in protein.

Palm sugar (Karupatti): Karupatti has a stronger, deeper taste than jaggery or sugar, and it also includes nutrients. You use jaggery, although the flavor will change slightly. 

Ghee: This helps in binding and bringing the laddos together. Use good quality ghee, homemade ghee is the best option. It also helps the ladoos stay fresh for longer.

Cashew Nuts (Chopped): Fry it in ghee until it turns golden and use.

Cardamom powder: This gives a nice flavor and taste to the ladoos. A little amount of this is enough. 

Hacks

• Do not skip filtering the karupatti syrup, as it includes small particles or sand, which has to be cleaned. 
• Always roast the urad dal flour on low heat. High heat may cook it quickly on the outside, leaving the raw smell inside. 
• If the mix becomes too dry while making ladoos, simply heat some ghee and add one spoon to the mix. It helps to shape together without making it oily. 
• Use freshly roasted urad dal flour if possible. Roast the whole urad dal and grind it. The taste will be so much better to store bought flour.

Urad Dal Ladoo (Step by Step Pictures)

Expert Tips

Tip 1: Do not let the syrup boil. Just melt and filter it. If it gets boiled then the consistency of the syrup will change and it will be difficult to mix with the flour. 

Tip 2: Mold the ladoo when it's warm itself, it helps to get a smooth and softer ladoos and also we can get a perfect round shape. 

Storage - Once the ladoos have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for about 7-10 days at room temperature. 

Serving - These will be a very good snack along with evening tea, or you may serve them with murukku, ribbon pakoda, and payasam. 

FAQ 

Q: Can I use jaggery instead of karuppati ? 

Yes, you can. It will taste slightly different, lighter and more caramel sweet than karuppati. 

Q: Can I make these Vegan? 

Yes, you can use coconut oil instead of ghee, but the taste and smell would be different. Ghee gives it an authentic taste. 

Q: My flour tastes bitter, why? 

You may have roasted it on high heat. Always roast the urad flour in low heat and continuously mix it while roasting, this is important. 

Q: My ladoos are crumbly. Why? 

Maybe because there is not enough syrup or oil. Mix in a teaspoon of warm ghee before shaping them. 

Recipe Variations 

With Jaggery: If you don't have karupatti available , you can also use jaggery. The taste will still be delicious, but with a slightly different taste. 

Dry Fruit Mix: To make the ladoos more healthy, add in some chopped almonds, raisins, or pistachios. It will give a nice crunch and taste to the ladoos. 

Chocolate Twist: While roasting the flour, you can add a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour for a different taste. Kids will be loving this version of ladoo.

Ladoo Recipes

📖 Recipe Card

If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.

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