Motichoor Ladoo

For the batter:

1. Sieve besan in a bowl. Add water and orange food color to form a smooth batter.
2. The batter should be a flowing consistency.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Check the oil before frying — drop a pea size batter inside the hot oil. If it floats right back up, your oil is ready for frying.
4. Hold the strainer right above the kadai, neither too low nor too high. Pour the batter into the strainer. Start tapping the strainer, or with the help of the back of a spoon drop the batter, and you will see small drops of boondi falling in the hot oil. Fry them over medium to high heat. Don't fry them more than a minute.
5. Once done, remove the boondis from the oil and place them on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil. Let them cool down for five minutes. Pulse them in a food processor for a fine texture. Keep aside.

Sugar syrup: 6. In a pan take sugar and water. Start boiling them. Add saffron, orange color, cardamom powder and rose essence. Boil till it is reduced in quantity and has reached one string consistency. It will take 5 to 6 minutes. Switch off the flame and add a few drops of lemon juice. 7. To check the sugar consistency — take some syrup between your fingers, press and open your fingers; if it forms a thick string between your fingers without breaking, one string syrup is ready. 8. Add the prepared boondi and chopped cashews into the hot sugar syrup. 9. Mix the mixture very well. Let it sit for 5 minutes. 10. When it is comfortable to touch, apply some ghee on your palm and start shaping the ladoos. Garnish with pistachios and saffron. Enjoy.

Resting time 1 hour.

Notes:

1. The batter should be smoothly flowing, without lumps and of medium consistency.
2. Make sure the sugar syrup is hot when you add the fried boondi.
3. Don't over-fry the boondi or make them crisp. They should be soft. Fry them only for about a minute.
4. Don't pulse the boondis too much in the blender.
5. Pulse the boondis before adding into the sugar syrup, but you can also pulse them after adding them.
6. If you are not able to roll ladoos, add 1 tbsp water and pulse one more time. Don't over pulse.
7. Roll ladoo when the mixture is warm.
8. One string consistency is very important — you won't be able to roll the ladoos if it's more or less.
9. Boondi fried in flavorless oil; you can also fry in ghee or half oil and half ghee.
10. Fry boondi in hot oil only.