Bajra Churma Laddu

My husband is from Jaipur and during every visit I get to sample many awesome dishes, many of which I have learnt to make at home so that he doesn’t miss them. Bajra is an integral part of Rajasthani food, may be because it is a hardy crop, growing well even in drought conditions, high temperatures and low soil fertility. Rajasthan produces the largest amount of bajra, and India is the number one producer of this grain.

Bajra has many antioxidant properties due to flavonoids. This promotes good skin and eye health, anti-ageing process and helps us fight against infection.  Consisting of complex carbohydrates, bajra is absorbed slowly from our digestive tract, leading to greater satiety while providing a continuous flow of energy. Because of its fibre content and the presence of slowly digestible starch, which takes longer to convert to glucose, bajra has a positive effect on diabetes. Its high Magnesium content prevents risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Finally it is gluten free and so well suited for people with gluten allergy.

Bajra churma laddu is a lip smacking dish.

Ingredients

-2 cups bajra flour, for 2 laddus

- 1 cup boiling water

- ¼ cup ghee

- 1 cup jaggery powder OR sugar powder

- A pinch of cardamom powder (optional)

Instruction

-          Take the bajra flour in a vessel, make a well in the center with a large spoon, add the boiling water and mix lightly with the spoon. Cover and keep aside for ten minutes.

-          Now knead the flour, adding water if needed.

-          Make into two balls, flatten and make rotis on a hot thava, roasting nicely on both sides.

-          Put the rotis on a plate, pour the melted ghee and jaggery powder or sugar powder over it.

-          Wait for it to cool a bit so that you can mix nicely with hand and make laddus

-          You can add cardamom powder along with the ghee and jaggery powder. I don’t add because I enjoy the flavor of bajra so much.