How to Make Methi Ladoo: Healthy Winter Sweet Recipe (Authentic Method)
Master the art of making healthy Methi Ladoo. This step-by-step recipe uses roasted chana dal flour fried in ghee and soaked methi for a non-bitter, melt-in-the-mouth winter sweet.
Ingredients
Main Base:
- 125 g Fenugreek Seeds Methi Dana
- 300 g Roasted Chana Dal Phutana / Dalwa
- 300 g Jaggery Gul, finely chopped
- Ghee Clarified Butter – approx. 200g–250g total
Texture & Crunch:
- 100 g Edible Gum Dink
- 150 g Dry Coconut grated
- 250 g Dry Dates Kharik, powdered
- 50 g Almonds Badam
- 50 g Cashew Nuts Kaju
- 50 g Walnuts Akhrod
- 50 g Raisins Manuka
- 1/2 cup Fox Nuts Makhana
Seeds & Spices:
- 2 tbsp Poppy Seeds Khas Khas
- 50 g Melon Seeds Magaz
- 50 g Pumpkin Seeds
- 50 g Sunflower Seeds
- 1 tbsp Nutmeg & Cardamom Powder
- 1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder Sunth
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Methi (The Night Before)
- Dry roast the Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) in a pan on low heat for 2 minutes. Do not burn them.
- Cool and grind into a fine powder.
- Soak: Mix this powder with enough Ghee to cover it. Keep it aside overnight (or 3-4 hours). This puffing-up process cuts the bitterness.
Step 2: Make the Powders
- Grind the Roasted Chana Dal (Phutana) into a fine flour.
- Grind the Dry Dates (Kharik) into a powder.
- Coarsely crush/grind the Almonds, Cashews, and Walnuts (keep some chunks for texture).
Step 3: Frying Ingredients (The Roasting Process)
- Heat ghee in a kadhai (pan). Fry the Edible Gum (Dink) until it puffs up completely. Remove and crush it.
- In the remaining ghee, lightly roast the Dry Coconut until golden. Remove.
- Roast the Makhana and Poppy Seeds until crisp. Remove.
- Roast the Seeds (Melon, Pumpkin, Sunflower) and Dry Fruits (Raisins, Nuts) briefly. Remove.
Step 4: Roasting the Chana Dal Flour (Crucial Step)
- Add about 2-3 big tablespoons of Ghee to the kadhai.
- Add the powdered Roasted Chana Dal (prepared in Step 2).
- Roast this flour on a low-to-medium flame. Stir continuously.
- Roast until the flour changes colour slightly to golden brown and releases a nutty aroma (approx. 5-7 minutes). This double-roasting ensures the ladoo tastes cooked and earthy.
Step 5: Mixing Everything
- Take a large plate (Parat).
- Add the roasted Chana Dal flour, Kharik powder, crushed Dink, roasted Coconut, Dry Fruits, and Seeds.
- Add the Soaked Methi paste.
- Add Nutmeg-Cardamom powder and Dry Ginger powder.
- Mix everything thoroughly with your hands.
Step 6: Jaggery & Binding
- In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the chopped Jaggery.
- Melt it on low heat. Turn off the gas immediately once it melts (don't boil it).
- Pour the hot jaggery over the mixture.
- Mix with a spatula first, then with your hands once slightly cool.
- Press firmly to bind round Ladoos.