Motichoor ladoo / Motichoor laddu is an Indian sweet, different from boondi ladoo, because this made with tiny boondi and slightly different method of preparation as well as ingredients.
In this post, you can learn how to make these tiny boondi with step by step pictures and video.
Motichoor laddu is prepared during festivals like Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami.
Check out Ganesh chaturthi recipes and Diwali sweets in my website.
About
‘Moti’ means pearl and ‘choor’ means crushed, hence the name. This popular Indian sweet is originated from north India.
It is fried with desi ghee usually and prepared for festivals and celebrations.
The boondi (pearls) are tiny in this ladoo unlike the regular boondi ladoo. This makes it more attractive and special.
Tiny boondi
I always wondered how they manage to get so much tiny boondis. Have searched a lot in blogs, websites but, found nothing which explains the trick of getting it tiny.
In another method, they grind the regular boondi and make motichoor laddu.
Been postponing to try this recipe as I did not want to try that way. I know there should be some technique to make it.
Once I was making plain salt boondi for raita, the batter became watery and I got really tiny boondis. But it was more like a mess, half of it were like sev.
Ladle
This ladle comes with different size of holes. You can ask for it in the shop and buy.
Sadly I forgot to notice the number/ size. It is available in all vessels shop in T Nagar Chennai.
My mom in law got this from Saravana stores. You can also Google and buy in Amazon.
I wanted to make video for my boondi ladoo post this year and also I am a big fan of it, but never get to eat.
Know only if I can make myself I can eat it. So, when I went to Chennai this year, asked my MIL to buy and keep the ladle .
She too was sweet, thoughtful, bought & kept for me. Without this ladle I don’t think this recipe is possible.
I remember my mom had two or three varieties of this boondi ladle which we call as Jalli karandi.
One made of brass and other two made of iron. one of them is used to drain from oil. Other one to make it.
When she used to make, my grandma will help or vise versa. I too have helped her when as I grew up. As she makes large quantity, another helping hand is a must to finish it fast.
The technique
Using the ladle, we have to tap it gently over the oil as you see in the steps and video.
Luckily saw few videos in which they show the technique and thankful for the same. But was in doubt if it will turn out good, will it be possible for me and so on.
It looked bit complicated, but somehow I was determined to try. I had plan to grind and do if it doesn’t turn out tiny, but wow, I pulled it off!🤗
I know many of you have been wanting to know how they make motichoor ladoo with tiny boondi, just like me.
Finally the search has come to an end here! 😁 Impress everyone with this ladoo for this Diwali.
No one will first believe that you made it, but make them believe, take a bow!
Top tip
- Make sure to not buy ladle with too large holes.
- The dabba/ box we use for tapping should be heavy so that it stays in place and taller than kadai.
- Quickly act and drain from oil as if it gets crisp, you may not be able to shape it.
- If oil temperature is low, the boondi will stick together (gather) in middle. So make sure it is hot each time.
FAQs
Adding salt, lemon juice in a sweet will affect the taste?
No, actually in contrast it will enhance the taste when added in small amount instead of flat taste of sweet.
Why I am not able to shape the motichoor ladoo, my ladoo does not hold it’s shape?
If you let the boondi cook for long time, then it happens. Make sure boondi is soft.
Boondi has not absorbed the syrup
- Boondi is too crisp to absorb
- Syrup is cold, not warm enough
- Syrup is too thick (past the stage)
Why to add milk?
It ensures softness of boondi, prevents from becoming crisp.
Coarse besan or regular fine besan?
Coarse besan works best for ladoos. Because it takes time to get cooked which in turn keep it soft. This ensures you can shape the ladoo, it will hold it’s shape.
Recipe card
Motichoor ladoo recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Besan coarse
- ¼ teaspoon Orange food color
- 3 tablespoon Milk
- Salt – a pinch
- Oil/ ghee – to deep fry
- 12 Pistachios
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 Cardamom powdered
- 3 drops Rose essence or 1 teaspoon pure rose water
- ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Take besan (chickpea flour) in a mixing bowl firstly.
- Add salt and whisk well or you can sieve too.
- In goes milk, food color and required water to make a thick batter. Refer video for consistency.
- Heat a broad kadai with enough oil/ ghee.
- Keep a heavy, taller (than the kadai using) box/ dabba near the kadai, without touching the flame or the kadai.
- Place a kitchen cloth or towel, folded over the container. This is for tapping the ladle over the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, put flame to low or medium and hold the boondi ladle in slanting way, above the oil, so that the handle rests over the dabba.
- Pour batter all over the ladle rather than at one place.
- Quickly start tapping the handle of the ladle over the dabba, so that the batter gets sprinkled in the oil.
- Once the bubbles reduces and you could see boondis, remove it from oil using a wire mesh ladle. Never let it for more time, otherwise it will get crispy and brown which will not hold shape.
- Drain in paper towel. Repeat to finish.
- To make sugar syrup, boil sugar and water until one string consistency. That is, if you swipe the back of the ladle with your fore finger and check between your thumb, a string should form.
- Switch off the flame, add lemon juice, cardamom and rose essence.
- The syrup should be warm atleast when you add boondi.
- Add the prepared boondi, mix well and keep it closed for minimum 20 mins or until all the syrup is absorbed by the boondi.
- Chop finely and fry the pistachios in ghee. Add to the soaked boondi, mix.
- Grease you hand with ghee.
- Take palm full of the boondi and make ladoos. Repeat to finsish and arrange in serving plate.
Video
Notes
- If you are not able to make tiny boondi, don’t worry, make regular ones, run in mixer after step 7. Make laddos. Looks equally good and tastes the same.
- This boondi takes in a lot of oil, so make sure to drain each batch over paper towel.
- And you can use oil or better ghee or ghee + vanaspati to deep fry the boondi as the boondi flavour mostly comes from that.
- Restrict yourself with only one per day/ time. It is really heavy.
- I don’t have wire mesh ladle, so used my metal strainer.
- While tapping, be careful not to tap on the kadai.
- If possible, get help from another hand, while making the boondi.
Stepwise photos
1. Take besan (chickpea flour) in a mixing bowl firstly.
2. Add salt and whisk well or you can sieve too. Add milk, food color and required water to make a thick batter. Refer video for consistency.
2. Heat a broad kadai with enough oil. Keep a heavy, taller (than the kadai using) box/ dabba near the kadai, without touching the flame or the kadai.
Place a kitchen cloth or towel, folded over the container. This is for tapping the ladle over the oil.
3. Once the oil is hot, put flame to low or medium and hold the boondi ladle in slanting way, above the oil, so that the handle rests over the dabba.
Pour batter all over the ladle rather than at one place. Quickly start tapping the handle of the ladle over the dabba, so that the batter gets sprinkled in the oil.
4. Once the bubbles reduces and you could see boondis, remove it from oil using a wire mesh ladle.
Never let it for more time, otherwise it will get crispy and brown and you cannot shape it. Drain in paper towel. Repeat to finish.
Sugar syrup
5. To make sugar syrup, boil sugar and water until one string consistency.
That is, if you swipe the back of the ladle with your fore finger and check between your thumb, a string should form.
6. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice, cardamom and rose essence. It should be atleast warm when you add boondi to it.
7. Add the prepared boondi, mix well and keep it closed for minimum 20 mins or until all the syrup is absorbed by the boondi.
8. Chop finely and fry the pistachios in ghee. Add to the soaked boondi, mix.
9. Grease you hand with ghee. Take palm full of the boondi and make ladoos. Repeat to finsish and arrange motichoor ladoo in serving plate.
I arranged in muffin liners. But can keep as such too! Store in airtight containers. Aren’t they gorgeous and pretty? 🙂
Wow yummy ladoos.. wanted to try this ladoo for a long time, as I m a great fan of it.. but since it is not available in ur site ( I m a great fan of u too)I was bit hesitant to do it .. may be will try for this Diwali
Hi I was searching for this mothichoor laddoo for long time…. thanks for the recipe… by the way can u please tell me what's the ladle hole size (how to find the small ones)where can I get this ladle in chennai….pls reply
Is there any other way to make tiny boondhis than using that spoon ?
Bravo ! Looks yummy and really inspiring. Looks just like the motichoor laddu from the delhi sweet shops
Wow a big wow
Wow, looks appealing and mouth watering. Happy diwali Raji
Make big boondi, run once in mixer
*Run half the boondis in mixer.
hi raji….i m a big fan of tiny ladoo….thank you so much…..2days before i tried your ennai kaithrikai recipe its awesome…..thank you so much…….
Perfect ladoos Raji..lovely presentation as usual.with your video and instructions there is no chance of going wrong in the recipe:)
Ohh … Wow, Lovely lady , Thanks for the secret tip , love it. Happy Diwali !
I mean u r wow..simply wow…seriously..☺ you made the entire process look so easy..hats off lady! Awesome!!!
You make it look so easy. Once you enter the kitchen, the truth will come out. 😀
Hi raks cute looking laddus.
Rose essence mandatory ?? or is their any substitute ??
You can skip and use cardamom alone. If you like clove flavour you can add that too.
I by mistake got rose water instead of essence.. can I use that?
Hi Raks. Can you please let me know it's shelf life? I'm planning to make it today and Diwali is 4 days away.. will it stay good?
Sure, than rose essence, rose water is best!
Thanks for the response.. can you let me know it's shelf life? Will it stay good for 3 days?
Hi I have added more water to the sugar syrup it looks.. So even after soaking Boondi for 30 mins – still it looks lil watery and am not able to make ladoo out of it.. Any tips ??
Hi.. I have added more water for sugar syrup it seems.. So even after soaking Boondi for 30 mins – am not getting the perfect texture.. What I can do now to get perfect ladoo?
If the syrup consistency is right, it wont be watery. So you can drain or gently squeeze the excess and rest it for more time before trying making ladoos. Still if it doesnt hold, you can keep in flame and stir for sometime and try shaping.
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Hi Raks, I have tried this ladoo and tastes good. But after one day it becomes dry and looking dull and hard. Any tips for preparing soft moist ladoo??
Hi, I have prepared ladoos and it tastes good. But after one day it became too dry and looking dull. Any tips for making slightly moisture and shine ladoos??
Be quick while taking out from the oil, it should be fried and taken out soon. You can also grind half the boondis or a part of it for more moist.
Hi raks sis..Thank u for posting this recipe…Ladoos are looking gorgeous…..I tried today..But after soaking boondis in syrup..They absorbed and became hard…I couldn't get the moist boondis…I used ur measurements mentioned in blog..Please tell me where I went wrong….And the syrup also get crystallised..I added lemon juice
Use little more water while making sugar syrup. To avoid crystalization of sugar, always boil in medium flame to not miss the stage. The sugar should completely dissolved and sides should not have crystals sticking. After dissolving by heating and starts to boil, stirring should be avoided. Just check consistency, do not stir. Lemon juice sure helps to prevent crystaliztion. So use more water, less stirring, medium flame 🙂 Because of crustalization only you were not able to make ladoos.
Thank u sis
Hi Raji
Is it necessary to use coarse besan or d normal one is fine?? N do we get corse besan available in market
Yes, better to use coarse for perfect results. Yes it is sold as besan ladoo
*ladoo besan
Hi Raji,
If sugar syrup is more after soaking boondi what can I do ?
try keeping for more time, still if its more you feel which will not be absorbed, you can drain the excess and keep the boondis alone aside for sometime and then try shaping.
Hi my ladoo is like rubber ..I think sugar syrup not done properly …if I want to add sugar syrup. What to do
It could be it's overcooked too. Let me know your exact details to [email protected]
hi raji..i tried this recipe..it came out really well!!! thanks!!
Thanks a lot
Hi Raji,
Tried your recipe. I have following doubts.
— I didn't get round bhoondis. They were kind of flat. But i didn't allow it to be crispy.
— And after immersing in sugar syrup, i couldn't round it even after adding ghee
— And I felt it more tasted like besan flour
Could you please provide me tips on what all I would have done wrong.
towel on the dabba and then quick taps…brilliant! wanna try out soon. going to stick with your rava laddu and kesari recipes for now. I’ve become a kesari expert now.
Thanks a lot 🙂