Rava-Besan-Naral
Laadu (रवा बेसन नारळ लाडू)
Photos by Amruta Nargundkar
“Aai, why does this calendar
show Ganpati eating a laadu? Isn’t he supposed to eat modaks?” a young me
unrolling a glossy brightly coloured wall calendar a shop assistant had very
benevolently thrust into our shopping bag.
Receiving freebies is
pleasurable even to kids, although one would think they wouldn’t know the
difference of gratis and otherwise. For
someone who loved to receive even seemingly useless pamphlets and handbills so
I could read them, the glossy colourful calendars depicting gods and goddesses,
fluorescent sunsets - or even film stars- was a treat.
But I couldn’t understand why
Mother was so wary of these loudly coloured wall calendars.
Perhaps her aesthetic sensibilities and
training wouldn’t allow her to patronise 'popular calendar art' ?
“Aga, the meaning of
the Sanskrit word moda means 'pleasure or joy' and modak means 'that which
brings pleasure or joy'… a laadu - a
primordial ball shape - also gives people joy and pleasure, so it is
essentially a modak. In the old days
before grocery shops and supermarkets, people had easy access only to produce
from the land they tilled. So they came up with their own versions of a laddu
shaped sweet to offer to God. In regions where chana dal was grown, the laadus
were besan or boondi laadus. In the coastal areas, where coconut and rice were
the most commonly available ingredients, the coastal Maharashtrians must have devised
laddus out of rice flour and coconut…”
I was busy looking at
the tempting pile of laddus in front of the smiling Ganesh. That little mouse in
the corner was nibbling at one, although the Lord hadn’t partaken of the
offering – how could you do that! Even we kids had to wait until the Naiveyda
was offered!
And how could the lord
bear to wait patiently with the laddu in his outstretched hand for hours at
end? I for one couldn’t rest until all the laadus in the large “pedheghati”
steel dabba had been polished off, all the time wishing there were more and
more and more...
When I look back, I
realise Mother was a great one for explaining the meaning, etymology,
significance, derivation, corruption, contractions and significance of
everything, from words, rituals, superstitious practices, festivals, etc. etc.
I used to get
impatient at times with her as a young girl, but now I realise what a treasure
house of knowledge and wisdom she was, and still is.
I wish I could learn
more and more from her.
Rava-Besan-Naral Laadu
Ingredients
2 cups rava (semolina)
1 cup laadu besan (grainy chickpea flour)
¾ cup ghee
1 ½ cups grated fresh coconut
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
A pinch of salt
¾
tsp powdered green cardamom
A pinch of saffron
½ cup chopped almonds or cashew nuts
¼ cup raisins (optional – I don’t use them
as my daughter hates them!)
Method
Heat a large and wide thick-bottomed
pan and add the ghee and besan. Roast the grainy ladu besan over medium heat
till its light brown and starts to emanate a roasted aroma. I find this besan
requires less ghee than the fine variety. Then add the semolina and a pinch of
salt and roast for some more time until the mixture begins to look uniformly
roasted. Add the chopped nuts towards the end and make sure to stir constantly
so the mixture does not burn.
When the whole house
is agog with the aroma of roasting besan and rava, add the coconut to the
mixture and keep roasting for 4-5 minutes. You will notice the mixture
will become suddenly very light and airy. Switch the heat off.
In another
thick-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring the solution to a
boil. When the sugar dissolves and the syrup begins to thicken, drop some in a
plate and test touch it with your forefinger. Then pinch the finger and thumb
together and pull them apart. If the syrup strings out once forming a thread,
the syrup has reached one string consistency.
Add the syrup to the
roasted rava, besan and coconut mixture. Mix thoroughly and allow the mixture
to soak in the syrup. Add the cardamom powder and saffron. Stir it from time to
time. The mixture will become thick and crumbly in a while. Roll the mixture
into laddus.
Store them in an
airtight container, preferably in a self-replenishing pedheghati steel dabba.
that was a sweet post!! Loved the modal explanation!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
DeleteInteresting point of view.
ReplyDelete:) thanks Mohit!
Delete