Besan Unde/ ladoo

March already seems like April-May but our lucky stars are going to sullen starting next week. These two weeks we have been eating plenty of salads and enjoying the weather as long as it lasts.

Besan Unde reminds me of Nagarapanchami. Back home in the northern part, the celebrate the festival of Nagarapanchami with great gusto. A variety of undes or ladoos are made and lots of goodies including Jowar/Bajra rotti. These rottis are served with assorted side dishes. Slurp...We in my family make Besan Unde when ever we feel like eating! It is pretty easy to make, the ingredients are all off the self and it stores well for a week - 10 days. My sister makes excellent Besan Unde. She had made it the last time I visited her and I kept on eating till the whole box was empty. This is my humble version, not as good as the one she makes but not bad either.

We will need,

Chickpea flour  1 cup
Ghee      1/2 cup
Sugar (fine variety) 3/4 -1 cup  (I prefer it at the lower end, but if I am making it for my FIL I will go all the way up to 1 cup and may be a couple of tablespoons over it)
Cardamon 1 (seeds crushed and the pod discarded)
Almonds 1/4 c toasted and chopped fine (optional)
Copra   2 tbsp grated and toasted (optional)
salt a pinch

Method:

• Sift the chickpea flour a couple of time to ensure that it is free from impurities and is lump free.
• Melt the ghee in a thick bottom pot and throw in the chickpea flour. Keep moving the mixture till well combined. Make sure it is not lumpy. 
• Cook the mixture till it changes colour and is fragrant. Remove from heat and set it aside to cool.
• Once it is slightly cool, but still warm to touch, stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Gather enough mixture to fit in your palm and pat it into balls the size of golf balls.
• Cool it on parchment lined cookie sheet and store it in an air tight box once it is completely cool.