How to make sweet Bundi at home from 1 cup of besan to resemble Halwa

During the sacred festival of Diwali, it is impossible to do without Motichoor Laddu, as these golden sweets with small, pearl-like grains are loved by both adults and children. However, there is a concern about impurities and the use of low-quality oils or colorings in store-bought confectionery.

Instead of buying expensive sweets in stores for this special Diwali festival, you can make laddus that are as crumbly, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth as professional confectioners' using only two cups of besan and pure ghee. The simplest instructions and secret tips for preparation are provided below.

For preparation, you will need: 2 cups of besan (finely ground), 2 cups of sugar, 1.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of green cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, 2-3 drops of edible yellow or saffron coloring, and pure ghee or refined oil for frying.

To create fine boondi (Motichoor grains), the consistency of the liquid batter should be moderate—it should not be too thick or too thin, but rather resemble dough for dosa.

It is important that the syrup for the laddu is sticky, not single-threaded, like honey. If the syrup is too thick, the laddus will become hard, and if it is too thin, they will crumble.

First, take 2 cups of besan in a large bowl and thoroughly whisk it with a little water gradually using a whisk until no lumps remain. Then, add the yellow food coloring, creating a smooth batter.

Heat the ghee or oil in a pan. Using a special sieve with small holes placed over the pan, pour in the batter. The boondis will fall into the oil on their own and turn into small granules. These granules are lightly fried (without becoming hard) and removed from the oil.

In a separate pot, heat 2 cups of sugar and 1.5 cups of water on the stove. After the sugar dissolves and the syrup reaches stickiness, add the cardamom powder. Then, add all the fried boondis to the hot syrup along with the pumpkin seeds. Cover the container and leave it for 10–15 minutes so that the boondis fully absorb the syrup.

When the mixture cools down slightly (to a temperature that can be touched by hand), form small round laddus, lightly greasing your hands with water or oil. The finished, very tasty, juicy, and crumbly Motichoor Laddus can be stored in an airtight container and enjoyed during festivals.

As the sacred festival of Diwali approaches, guests begin gathering in homes, and everyone wishes to serve something original and exquisite. There is a risk of counterfeiting in store-bought sweets, and they are also quite expensive. Instead of buying sweets at the market during this special Diwali moment, prepare a delicious and rich chhena toast from fresh chhena at home. This is a very popular and royal dessert from Bengal, which is covered with a creamy layer of cream on the outside and is airy inside. Those who taste it will not stop praising you. Below is the simplest recipe and secret tips for preparation.

Required ingredients:

To make chhena, 2 liters of whole milk are required. To separate the cheese, 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar are needed. For the syrup, 2.5 cups of sugar and 4-5 cups of water are required. 1 cup of mawa or thick rice paste (rabri) is used for decoration and coating. Sliced nuts (pistachios, almonds) and saffron threads are used for garnish.

Secret techniques for an airy and creamy texture:

To achieve airiness, the chhena should be kneaded with the pads of your palm for only 3-4 minutes, maintaining a light net structure so that it absorbs the syrup well. The chhena needs to be shaped into a rectangle, slightly flattened and formed into a square (or toast), so that it looks like a toast from a bakery or confectionery.

Step-by-step preparation instructions:

First, prepare the chhena: bring 2 liters of milk to a boil, then curdle it using lemon juice. Strain the curdled milk through cheesecloth and rinse with clean water to remove acidity. Then, squeeze out excess moisture from the chhena and place it on a plate. Gently mix it and shape it into a square or rectangular block, then cut it into desired pieces (in the shape of toasts).

Prepare the syrup: In a wide and deep pot, bring 2.5 cups of sugar to a boil along with 4-5 cups of water. When the syrup boils vigorously, add the sliced chhena pieces. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until they increase in volume and become juicy. After that, remove them from the syrup and let them cool.

Applying the coating: Now, evenly coat the finished chhena toasts with thick creamy rabri or sweetened mawa. Finish by garnishing with finely chopped pistachios, almonds, and saffron threads. Your magnificent and royal chhena toasts are ready! Serve them chilled; guests will definitely ask for the recipe.

With the arrival of the holiday season, many different sweets appear in homes. Although you have probably tried white rasgullas, having colorful and fluffy rasgullas on the festive table will delight everyone, from children to adults.

Commercial colorful sweets often contain harmful chemicals and dyes, which negatively affect health. Therefore, it is recommended to make rasgullas at home using fresh milk to obtain pure chhana and coloring them with natural dyes to get safe and fluffy treats. The simplest instructions and secret tips for preparation are presented below.

For preparation, you will need: 2 liters of whole milk (for making chhana), 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, 3-4 cups of sugar (for syrup), 4-5 cups of water, a few drops of natural food coloring (light pink, yellow, or green), as well as cardamom powder or kewra water for flavoring.

The main secret to getting soft rasgullas lies in the technique of kneading the chhana: it must be kneaded with the back of your hand for at least 7-8 minutes until smooth. The correct stage for adding color is as follows: after thoroughly kneading the chhana, it is divided into 2-3 parts, and 1-2 drops of different natural food colorings are added to each of these parts, mixing gently so that the color is evenly distributed when forming the balls.

First, 2 liters of milk are brought to a boil, and then curdled using lemon juice. The curdled milk is strained through cheesecloth and rinsed with clean water to remove acidity. Excess moisture from the chhana is squeezed out and placed on a plate, then kneaded by hand for 7-8 minutes until it becomes smooth like butter.

Next, the smooth chhana is divided into portions, the desired natural color (pink, yellow, green) is added, and small, smooth balls are formed. In a large, wide pot, 3-4 cups of sugar are heated together with 4-5 cups of water until boiling. When the syrup boils vigorously, the colorful rasgulla balls are dropped into it one by one. The pot is covered with a lid and cooked over medium or medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes. You will see the rasgullas increase in size, becoming twice their original volume.

After this, turn off the heat and let the rasgullas cool completely. After cooling, they are ready to serve.