These ladoos are sweetened by the dates and sultanas alone, with no sugar or jaggery in the mix and no syrup to watch over. They are rich, chewy and full of crunchy nut, and a plate of them goes a long way through a week of fasting and visiting.
Dried dates, known as chhuhara or kharek, are hard and leathery straight from the bag, so they need a long soak before they will grind into a paste. Most families take dry fruit freely during Navratri, though customs vary on which days, so make them to suit your fast.
Ingredients
- 150g Heera dry dates (250g)
- 100g Samayal whole almonds jumbo (750g)
- 100g Samayal cashew kernels (750g)
- 60g TRS golden sultanas
- Half tsp Fudco cardamom seeds (75g)
- Just-boiled water for soaking
Method
- Put the dried dates in a bowl, cover with just-boiled water and leave for 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge. They are ready when a date splits easily with your fingers. Drain, keeping a little of the water.
- Slit each date, pull out the stone and trim off the small hard cap at the stalk end. Pat the dates dry with kitchen paper and chop them roughly.
- Roast the almonds in a dry pan over a medium-low flame for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring, until they smell toasted and crack when bitten. Tip them out, then roast the cashews in the same pan for 4 to 5 minutes until pale gold. Let both cool completely.
- Pulse the nuts in a grinder in short bursts until coarsely chopped, with some pieces the size of a lentil and some larger. Do not run the grinder or the nuts turn oily. Tip into a large bowl.
- Crush the cardamom seeds to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Put the dates, sultanas and cardamom in the grinder and blend to a thick, sticky paste, scraping down the sides now and then. If the blades stall, add a teaspoon of the soaking water, but no more than you need.
- Add the paste to the nuts and knead with your hands for a couple of minutes until everything holds together.
- With lightly damp palms, roll the mixture into balls of about 30g each. Set them on a tray and chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
Cook's notes
Because the soaked dates carry some moisture, keep these ladoos in a covered box in the fridge and eat them within ten days. For a firmer, longer-keeping ladoo, spread the chopped dates on a tray after soaking and let them air dry for an hour before grinding. Pistachios or walnuts can take the place of some of the cashews.
Packed six to a small box with a square of baking paper, they make a thoughtful gift for friends and neighbours during the festival.
