Boondi Laddoo

This is a very simple recipe. My aunt used to make this regularly for all diwali's. Anyone who is familiar with grand sweets laddoo will know it is one of the best... My aunt used to make very similar laddoo's.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Makes - 15 laddoos

Ingredients

Besan / Kadalai Mavu - 11/4 cup
Cooking Soda - 1 pinch
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup - 1 tbsp
Oil - for frying
Cashewnuts -1 tbsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Yellow Colour - 2 drops
Sugar candy / Kalkandu - 1/2 tbsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch

Procedure

1. Sieve the besan thrice, add the soda, colour and mix well.
2. Add water and bring it to the consistency of dosa batter. (Approx 3/4 cup)
3. In a separate kadai, heat ghee, fry the broken cashewnuts, cloves and set aside
4. Prepare sugar syrup to one string consistency. Mix sugar and water and heat on a medium flame for about 4-5 minutes. Stir once in between. Test the one string consistency between your thumb and index finger.
5. Heat the oil in a kadai for frying the boondis.
6. To test if the batter consistency is correct, use the spoon back to drop a bit of the batter into hot oil, if it is round, consistency is correct, if it forms a tail, add a little more water 1 tbsp at a time and test again. If the round balls are too thin, you might need to add a little more besan to increase the thickness of the  ball. Add 1 tbsp at a time.
7. When the batter is ready, take two perforated ladles. One for making the boondis, one for taking out the fried boondis.
8. Pour a ladle of batter over the perforated ladle holding the perforated ladle over the kadai of oil. Let the boondis fall into the oil.
9. When the boondis are half fried(i.e.,cooked but not crisp), take them out using the second perforated ladle and transfer into the  sugar syrup.
10. Wipe the first perforated ladle and repeat making the boodis for the remaining batter. Wipe the ladle each time, so that the holes are not blocked and the boondis fall well each time.
11. After soaking all the boondis in the sugar syrup, add the cashewnuts, cardamom powder, cloves, sugar candy and nutmeg powder and mix well till the entire boondi, sugar mixture is combined.
12. Form balls of the boondi mixture when it is warm.
13. Delicious laddoo is ready.

Notes:

1. If you want a smooth finish look to the laddoo,  take about 2 tbsp of the boondi mix and grind coarsely.  Then mix it with the boondi mix and form the laddoo.
2. The sugar syrup should be warm while putting the boondis into it.
3. The laddoos should be made while the mix is still warm else the sugar will crystallize
4. Always handle the laddoo with dry hands while forming the laddoo
5. If you are not able to form laddoos, prepare a little more sugar syrup and pour over the mixture and try forming the laddoos. (Mostly it will not be required).
6. Laddoos will remain fresh unrefrigerated for a week.