Whole Wheat Churmi Laddoos

These delicious whole wheat laddoos are my husband’s childhood favorite. I have often heard my mother-in-law talk about his love for these melt-in-the-mouth laddoos. This recipe for this Konkani delicacy (also called Churmundo) was shared by my husband’s aunt. It is the simplest dessert made with just a handful of Indian pantry staples. The only tricky part of the procedure is shaping the laddoos whilst the mixture is still warm. My first attempt with them was not entirely successful. I waited too long to form the laddoos and the semi-cooled mixture yielded uneven, mottled specimens that were not very attractive (though they tasted great). I don’t make these often, but today being Ugadi I wanted to make something sweet. A milk-based pudding (payasam) would have been the natural choice. However, under the given circumstances, I decided to dip into my stock of whole wheat flour and save the milk for setting yogurt instead.

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Recipe

Churmi Laddoos

(Makes 8-9 laddoos) 

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (chakki atta), sifted
1/2 cup powdered sugar (measured after powdering), sifted
5 tbsp melted ghee* (measured after melting)
1 tsp ground green cardamom

Method

In a heavy-based pan/wok, dry roast the flour over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  

Add in 4 tbsp of melted ghee and continue to roast the flour stirring it the entire time (keep the heat at medium-low to ensure even roasting). Continue this for about 15 minutes or until the flour darkens in color and gives out a nutty aroma.

Turn off the heat and transfer the roasted flour into a large metal mixing bowl. Immediately add in the powdered sugar and ground cardamom. Use a spoon to mix them into the flour until well incorporated.

Grease your hands with some melted ghee and press small amounts of the mixture inside your fist, lightly applying pressure to form laddoos. The mixture should be warm whilst you do this. If the mixture is too crumbly, stir in another tablespoon of melted ghee into the flour mixture. Place the laddoos on a plate and allow them to cool completely before eating.

Store the laddoos in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

*The amount of ghee will vary depending upon the quality of flour used.