Poha Ladoo Recipe – Easy Gram Dal & Peanut Sweet Treats

Last Updated on 3 months by Neha Deshmukh

Poha Ladoo Recipe – Easy Gram Dal & Peanut Sweet Treats

Hey everyone! Today, I’m sharing a recipe that’s close to my heart – Poha Ladoo. These aren’t just any ladoos; they’re a delightful blend of textures and flavors, and surprisingly easy to make. I first made these with my grandmother, and the sweet, nutty aroma instantly transported me back to childhood memories. They’re perfect for festivals, gifting, or just a sweet treat with your evening chai. Let’s get started!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These Poha Ladoos are special for so many reasons! They’re wonderfully crunchy, subtly sweet, and packed with the goodness of poha, gram dal, and peanuts. Plus, they come together pretty quickly – perfect when you’re craving something homemade but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. They’re also a fantastic way to use up leftover poha!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these delicious ladoos:

• 1 cup thick poha (about 150g)
• 0.5 cup gram dal (chana dal) (about 100g)
• 0.5 cup peanuts (about 75g)
• 0.125 cup ghee (about 30ml) – plus 1 tablespoon extra
• 0.5 cup brown sugar (about 100g)
• 0.25 teaspoon cardamom powder (about 1.25g)

Ingredient Notes

Let’s talk ingredients! Getting these right makes all the difference.

• Thick Poha: This is key. Thin poha will crumble too much. Look for the thicker variety, often called ‘bara poha’ or ‘javari poha’.
• Ghee Quality: Good quality ghee adds a lovely richness. I prefer using homemade ghee, but a good brand works beautifully too.
• Sweetness Levels: Traditionally, these ladoos aren’t overly sweet. However, sweetness is a personal preference! Feel free to adjust the sugar to your liking. Some families even use a mix of sugar and jaggery for a more complex flavor. In my family, we tend to lean towards a slightly less sweet ladoo, letting the nutty flavors shine.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Alright, let’s get cooking!

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Add the poha and roast it on medium heat until it’s golden brown and beautifully crisp. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent burning! Once roasted, transfer it to a plate to cool.
2. In the same pan, add a little more ghee and roast the gram dal until it turns golden brown and fragrant. This usually takes around 4-5 minutes. Set this aside to cool as well.
3. Now, roast the peanuts in the remaining ghee until they’re crisp and lightly browned. You can remove the skins if you like – it’s a matter of preference. I usually leave them on for extra texture.
4. Once everything is cool enough to handle, grind the roasted poha into a fine powder. A food processor or a powerful blender works best. Transfer this to a large mixing bowl.
5. Next, grind the roasted gram dal and peanuts together into a powder. Add the brown sugar to this mixture and pulse a few times to blend it – don’t overdo it, or it might become sticky.
6. Pour the gram dal and peanut mixture into the bowl with the poha powder. Mix everything really well until it’s evenly combined.
7. Heat the remaining ghee and fry the raisins until they puff up. This happens quickly, so keep a close eye on them! Add the puffed raisins and cardamom powder to the mixture.
8. While the mixture is still warm (this is important!), start shaping it into tight ladoos. If the mixture feels too dry, you can add a tiny bit more melted ghee. Let the ladoos cool completely before storing them.

Expert Tips

• Roasting is Key: Don’t rush the roasting process. Properly roasted ingredients are what give these ladoos their signature crunch.
• Cooling is Crucial: Make sure all the ingredients are cool before grinding. Warm ingredients can clump together.
• Tight Shaping: Press the mixture firmly when shaping the ladoos to ensure they hold their shape.

Variations

Want to switch things up? Here are a few ideas:

• Vegan Adaptation: Simply substitute the ghee with a plant-based ghee alternative. Coconut oil also works, but will impart a slight coconut flavor.
• Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free! Just double-check that your sugar doesn’t contain any hidden gluten ingredients.
• Adjusting Sweetness: My friend, Priya, always adds a little more sugar because her family loves a sweeter ladoo. Feel free to experiment!
• Festival Adaptations: During Diwali, I like to add a few chopped nuts like cashews and almonds for extra richness. For Ganesh Chaturthi, I sometimes add a pinch of nutmeg.

Serving Suggestions

These ladoos are delicious on their own, but they also pair beautifully with a glass of warm milk or a cup of masala chai. They’re a wonderful offering for guests, or a sweet treat to enjoy with family.

Storage Instructions

Store the cooled ladoos in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for up to a week, but honestly, they rarely last that long in my house!

FAQs

Let’s answer some common questions:

• What type of Poha works best for Ladoos? Definitely thick poha! It provides the best texture and holds its shape well.
• Can I use jaggery instead of sugar? Absolutely! Jaggery will give the ladoos a lovely caramel flavor. You might need to adjust the quantity slightly, as jaggery is often less sweet than sugar.
• How do I prevent the Ladoos from becoming dry? Make sure you shape the ladoos while the mixture is still warm, and store them in an airtight container. Adding a tiny bit more ghee if the mixture feels dry also helps.
• Can these Ladoos be made ahead of time? Yes, you can! They actually taste even better after a day or two as the flavors meld together.
• What is the best way to roast the Poha for the perfect texture? Roast on medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp. Avoid burning!

Enjoy making these Poha Ladoos! I hope they bring as much joy to your kitchen as they do to mine. Let me know how they turn out in the comments below!