Dates and Dink laddus

Come winter and we get busy cooking winter food like undiyo, gajar halwa or burfi’s etc etc… But I thought this time why not try something different.

So this time I thought of making Dink laddus or edible gum laddus which is especially eaten in winter and given to mothers who have just delivered.

Dink (before frying)

Dink (after frying)

Dink or Gaund or edible gum is eaten especially in winters as they are known to generate heat and strengthen bones. Aliv or Halim or watercress seeds are added to relieve pain and are rich in Iron and folic acid. This with dates, badam and walnut create a healthy and wholesome snack for all age groups.

Aliv or Halim seeds

Though typical dink laddus use dried dates or karik as it is called. I thought “who is going to spend so much time and energy in deseeding dried dates and then pounding them to make a fine powder?”…

So instead I substituted it with seedless, black dates, due to which I didn’t need to add additional jaggery or sugar to make laddus sweet, since dates are naturally sweet. So in this way it’s safe for diabetics to have it once in a while.

One laddu and a glass of milk in morning gives you enough energy and stamina till your next meal… especially during fasting or when you are in hurry and have no time to sit down and eat at leisure.

The original dink laddus contains more of dink, less of dry fruits, little bit of roasted coconut and they add jaggery for sweetening. I have made a slight variation.

Ingredients (For approx 50 laddus)

100 gms dink/ gound/ edible gum

500 gms seedless black dates

1 cup almonds/badam

1 cup walnuts/ akrot

½ cup pista/ pistachios

½ cup aliv/halim/ water cress seeds

2-3 teaspoon dry ginger powder

2 teaspoon khus khus / poppy seeds

Ghee for frying

Method

1.    In a thick bottom kadai heat the ghee for frying.

2.    Once ghee has melted and has come to medium heat, start frying dink/gound in small batches.

3.    While frying remember to keep stirring as gum tend to stick to one another and form lumps.

4.   After the entire dink is fried drain the excess oil from dink on tissue paper.

5.    After it cools down crush the fried dink using back side of a spoon or any glass and keep it aside. No need to make fine powder. Just crush lightly so that it gets easy for binding laddus.

Dry fruit powder

6.   Next lightly roast all the nuts separately and keep them aside to cool.

7.    Once cooled completely grind it into fine powder or cut into small pieces.

8.   Once all these are ready, in a non stick pan, add 2 teaspoon ghee and start with roasting of dates.

9.   Once the dates start to soften add crushed dink, nuts, aliv, dry ginger powder and khus khus. Keep them stirring till the form a nice mixture.

10. If you are adding coconut add with you add nuts.

11.  Allow this mixture to cool.

12. Once mixture comes to room temperature, mix nicely using hands and make laddus.

13. Allow them to cool fully before storing.

14. These laddus can be stored in air tight container for near 1 month (if you add coconut). If you didn’t add coconut it can stay for nearly 2-3 months.

Note :

1.    You can add finely grated and then dry roasted coconut if you like.

2.    You can add whatever dry fruits you want. Like cashew, currants, dried figs etc.

3.    I prefer non stick pan as it requires less ghee and it doesn’t get stuck to bottom easily.

4.   You can increase or decrease quantities of nuts as per your taste.

Enjoy winter .

Since  I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 8th – 14th December 2013 I uploaded my recipe here. For more recipes visit my food blog http://www.fud4health.blogspot.in/