INTRODUCTION
There is a wide variety of Indian sweets available in India, but do you know who the king of sweets is? Laddus are still considered the king of sweets by Indians. Do you know why? Read this blog to know why Laddus became the king of sweets.
LADDU
Laddu, the king of sweets, is a spherical ball of sweets made of different ingredients, such as sugar syrup or jaggery powder.
HISTORY
Laddu is often served during religious festivals and celebrations, especially associated with the Hindu deity Ganesha. Laddu originated in India, tracing back to the 4th century BC. An ancient Indian Physician named Susruta used the laddu to feed Ayurvedic medicines to his patients. He used seeds, herbs, peanuts, jaggery, and other ingredients coated with honey, and medicinal properties to treat patients, and being sweets, it made it easier for the patients to consume them.
In rural India, pregnant mothers, new mothers, and adolescent girls are fed with laddus made up of methi, soya, and makhanas to boost their immunity and regulate hormones following childbirth and puberty.
Laddus was considered a symbol of good luck by the Chola Empire; warriors of the Chola Empire carried Laddus with them. In the 11th-century, it was the first time that laddu was mentioned as sweet. Later in the 15th-century people discovered several recopies for laddus made up of different ingredients like white flour, besan, ghee, jaggery, dried fruits, etc.
DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF LADDUS:
Laddu is one of the evergreen sweets that is loved by one and all, not only in India but across the world. These are often served during celebrations, festivals, auspicious occasions, and new beginnings. There is a wide variety of laddus, and each of them has a different taste. So let’s talk about the different varieties of laddus.
1)MOTICHUR LADDU:
Mootichur Laddu is one of the most popular types among the varieties of laddus.
MEANING OF MOTICHUR: In simple language, Moti means Pearls, and Chur means Curshed form of it. So motichur is made up of tiny fried crispy round shape balls of besan (chickpea batter) later soaked in sugar syrup to make it sticky and shaped into round balls.
It is very popular in Rajasthan state and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. People love motichur laddu during festivals like Diwali, Raksha Bandan, Ganesh Chathurthi, weddings, etc.
2) BOONDI LADDU:
Boondi laddu is an easy alternative to motichur laddu which is easy and simple to make as compared to motichur. It is made of similar ingredients as that of motichur laddu, but the difference between them is the size of the ball of besan. Boondi laddu has the bigger sized ball; motichur laddu has the smaller one.
Boondi laddu is made up of bigger size round shaped balls of gram flour, deep fried till crispy. Later mix with sugar syrup and shape in round balls.
3) BESAN LADDU:
The most common choice amongst the wide variety is Besan Laddu. it is simpler, easier, and less time-consuming to make Besan Ladoo than Motichoor Ladoo with just 3 ingredients besan, ghee, and sugar.
To prepare it, Firstly besan is dry roasted on low flame and then fried in hot ghee. Add Sugar and cardamom powder to it. Then the mixture is converted into small balls, and allowed to cool and solidify. When making it, remember that the rich flavor of besan laddu depends on how well you cook the besan.
4) COCONUT LADDU:
Coconut laddu is also known as Nariyal laddu. Traditionally, coconut laddu were made with fresh nariyal, jaggery or sugar, and cardamom powder.
5) ATTA LADDU/ CHURMA LADDU:
These laddus are commonly made of wheat flour and deep-fried in ghee until a nice aroma comes out. Later on, jaggery powder is added to it. To enhance the nutritional values of these dry fruits, gond, nuts, makhana, etc., are added. It is believed that atta keeps the body warm, so it is considered great food during the winter.
6) SUJI OR RAVA LADDU:
Suji laddu is prepared with semolina as a main ingredient. Then other various ingredients like ghee, dry fruits, nuts, sugar, jaggery, and cardamom powder are also mixed in it. It is one of South Indian sweets made on special occasions.
7) SAHI LADDU:
Sahi means royal, these are made from sweets like barfi, mawa, khoya, and peda, which are turned into a paste, mixed with cardamom, dry fruits, nuts, and grated coconut, and form into balls.
8) DRY FRUITS LADDU:
These are made with roasted dry fruits like almonds, cashews, raisins, pistachios, gond, makhana, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and blended with dates to form small balls. These also have high nutritional values andare good for health.
OTHERS:
Ragi laddu, Sesame laddu, Peanuts Laddu, Almond laddu, Cashew Laddu
WORLD RECORD:
The world record for the largest Laddu was achieved by PVVS Mallikharjuna Rao (India), in Tapeswaram, Andhra Pradesh, India, on 6 September 2016. Individual Laddu weighs about 29,465 kilograms (64,959 lb). Laddu was made up of boondi, ghee, refined oil, cashew nuts, sugar, almonds, cardamom, and water.