I make these immunity-boosting healthy “jaggery gond laddus” in the fall and winter when it starts getting cold. It is filled with the goodness of urad dal flour, oats, quinoa, ghee, edible gum, nuts, and Indian spices to keep you warm from the inside all season long. A delicious homemade gluten-free substitute to a store-bought energy bar.
The quintessential Gond laddus.
When cold weather sets in, many homes all over India make Gond ke laddu. It is a winter special healthy dessert to enjoy all season long. Every home has its own version of laddus and so does mine.
In Northern India, Pinni ladoos are very popular and are made with whole wheat flour. Being a Rajasthani, we make Urad dal laddus. These are gluten-free as well.
My mom-in-law makes these immune boosters Urad dal laddus every year and sends them here in the United States. Now that she is visiting us, how could I miss a chance to learn this recipe from her?
A healthy and better version.
However, instead of just using Urad dal I swapped some for oat and quinoa to increase the nutritional value of the overall laddus. My mom-in-law makes the laddus by adding sugar. I substituted it with jaggery and she was super impressed with the taste. Hope you like this healthy hearty version and try them soon.
Ingredients to make winter laddus.
Gond – This is the main ingredient to make these laddus. Gond is a magical ingredient that is an edible gum from the Acacia plant. It is also known as gondh, dink, goond, gaund, Indian gum, gum Arabic, Acacia gum, or Babool gum.
They are tiny clear crystal-like pieces that have no flavor or taste. Gond has a high nutritional value and impressive benefits. It is an ingredient that is widely consumed all over India, especially during winter.
Don’t confuse it with gond katira. It is good but has cooling properties that is not recommended in cold weather. Gond Katira won’t work to make these laddus.
What are the benefits of Gond?
- The main benefit to consume gond during winter is that it keeps you warm from the inside out.
- Gond is very effective to prevent cold, and Flu hence consumed throughout the winters.
- Gond heals sore throat and stomach inflammation as well.
- It has anti-aging properties and is great for overall skin health.
- Gond is dietary fiber and makes you feel full. Hence it aids in weight loss.
- It even reduces cholesterol and promotes good digestion.
You can read more about its benefits here.
Ghee – I use Organic desi Cow ghee to make these gond laddus. Ghee is filled with healthy fats and is known to strengthen the immune system. It also promotes good digestion and keeps you warm from the inside. Ghee is anti-inflammatory as well.
Urad dal flour – Urad Dal contains a high amount of calcium, iron, and, magnesium. This lentil is excellent for maintaining good bone health. Urad dal has been proven effective to reduce joint and muscle pain. It is a great energy booster and helps digestion. I am using Urad dal in flour form to make these laddus.
Organic Quinoa flour – This flour is easily available in all departmental grocery stores. Quinoa is known as a great superfood with high protein and nutritional value. It is gluten-free as well.
Oat flour – It is nothing but ground oats in a blender. Oats are full of fiber and essential nutrients.
Dried Ginger – Benefits of ginger are known all over the world. Dried ginger also known as saunth in Hindi, helps accelerate digestion and aids weight loss. It also keeps you warm from the inside which is much needed in this cold weather. Ginger is filled with anti-inflammatory properties and helps the body combat cough and cold. Ginger has been proven to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar as well.
Dried coconut – I have grated pieces of dried coconut. You can use desiccated coconut instead. Desiccated or dried coconut is an ideal source of healthy fat that contains no cholesterol and contains selenium, fiber, copper, and manganese. Read more here.
It strengthens your connective tissues. Your skin, ligaments, and bones. It also prevents anemia and lowers your blood cholesterol levels.
Flavoring – I have used nutmeg and cardamom to flavor the laddus. These aid digestion. If you like a little kick in your laddus, do add some black pepper. it is filled with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also aids to lower cholesterol levels.
Almonds – I have pulsed almonds a couple of times in my blender to make a coarse powder.
Jaggery – Instead of adding sugar, I bind these ladoos with desi pure dark gud. Jaggery is rich in iron and a better option than refined sugar.
Very important tip!
Use Indian gond i.e gond from Acacia plant. DO NOT confuse it with Gond Katira or Tragacanth Gum. Gond Katira has cooling properties which are excellent for consumption during summer.
Possible substitutes
- You can swap oats and quinoa flour with an equal amount of urad dal flour.
- You can add 3 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds (til), and poppy seeds (khuskhus) to the mix.
- Swap quinoa or oat flour with roasted crushed makhanas.
- Substitute dal with whole wheat flour to make attar laddus.
Shelf life and storage tips.
- These laddus will stay well in cold weather at room temperature for 2 months.
- Store them in airtight containers
- For maximum freshness, divide the quantities into 3-4 small containers. Finish one off and then open the next one.
Make ahead-of-time tips.
- You can process or grate the coconut and nuts days ahead of time.
- Chop the jaggery into small pieces in advance and store them in a container.
- Ground oats to make oat flour well in advance too.
Best time to eat gond laddu.
- I prefer eating one every day for breakfast. I mean why not! It keeps me full for a longer time. And such an easy breakfast throughout the winter.
- Swap your sweet cravings with a couple of bites of these healthy laddus.
- You can eat it as a mid-day snack too. Make sure to drink lots of water whenever you eat gond.
Who can consume Gond laddus?
The beauty of these homemade laddus is that kids and adults can enjoy them equally. If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, I recommend you consume one laddu a day throughout the cold and flu season.
These laddus are very beneficial for new mothers just after delivery. It helps to strengthen their bones and helps to heal internally.
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Healthy recipes to try in Winter
Sweet Potato Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Indian Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Let’s make gluten-free Gond Laddus.
Jaggery Gond Laddu (Healthy Winter Ladoo)
Ingredients
- 200 grams ghee for roasting
- 2 cups Urad Dal Flour 200 grams
- ½ cup quinoa flour 50 grams
- ½ oat flour 50 grams
- 1¼ dried coconut (Kopra) grated
- ¼ cup dried ginger powder 25 grams
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 1½ teaspoon cardamom powder optional
- 2 cups coarsely blended almonds 260 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper optional
- ½ cup Indian Gond 94 grams
For melting jaggery
- 2 cups jaggery 350 grams
- ½ cup Ghee
Instructions
- Heat up ghee in a pan on medium flame.
- Add in all three flours and roast for 10-15 minutes.
- It will become deep brown and impart a sweet aroma.
- Once roasted, add in the gond.
- Now sautee it on a low flame. Let the gond bloom into big bubbles.
- Mix well constantly for 2 minutes on low flame.
- Once the gond blooms and becomes fluffy mix it constantly and smash them roughly with the back of the spoon.
- Next, add in the coarsely pulsed almonds, spices grated coconut and mix well for a minute.
- Take this dry mixture out of the pan.
- In the same pan add ghee.
- Once warm add in the jaggery and mix constantly until it is melted completely and has a thick caramel consistency.
- Carefully add the laddu mixture to the melted jaggery and mix well with the spoon.
- Stir and fold until the melted jaggery is mixed well with the dry mixture.
- Take out this mixture on to a big pan or a plate and when you are able to handle the heat start making laddus.
- The mixture may look dry but it comes together when rolled tightly between your palm.
- Start making laddus quickly when the mixture is still warm but easy to handle with bare hands. If the mixture cools down it will be difficult to form them.
- Make small equal-sized laddus approximately 1.5” in diameter.
Step by Step video of the recipe –
Notes
Very important tip.
- Use Indian gond i.e gum from the Acacia plant.
- DO NOT confuse it with Gond Katira or Tragacanth Gum. Gond Katira has cooling properties which is excellent for consumption during summer.
- This is a tried, tested, and accurate recipe. But if for any reason the laddus are not forming well or falling apart then you can add melted warm ghee to the mixture, couple tablespoons at a time.
Possible substitutes.
- You can swap oats and quinoa flour with an equal amount of urad dal flour.
- You can add 3 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds (til), and poppy seeds (khuskhus) to the mix.
- Swap quinoa or oat flour with roasted crushed makhanas.
- Substitute dal with whole wheat flour to make attar laddus.
Shelf life and storage tips.
- These laddus will stay well in cold weather at room temperature for 2 months.
- Store them in airtight containers.
- For maximum freshness, divide the quantities into 2-3 small containers.
- Finish one off and then open the next one.
Make ahead-of-time tips.
- You can process or grate the coconut and nuts days ahead of time.
- Chop the jaggery into small pieces in advance and store it in a container.
- Ground oats to make oat flour well in advance too.
You are using ghee twice – in recipe you mentioned 200 gems – is it for roasting flour ? How much ghee to put in jaggery while melting
Hello Prema, it is 1/2 cup ghee to melt jaggery. The ghee I used was in a solidified condition. I packed half a cup ghee in the cup and then melted it in the pan.