Fat free Moog Dal Ladoo

 Freshly made Moog dal ladoos with jaggery making them glossy

There was a time when we were children we gauged the financial status of a person by the way they cooked, it was not about health conscious cooking then. We always complained that my grandma used less oil to fry fish. So my grandpa called it Tal-bhuz (Fry roast). Another grandma used very little ghee in the ladoos. My Mom and Aunts would ask "Dhad tari lagtat". Now when I make ladoos with no fat what so ever it is health consciousness and style.

Well before I go on the recipe here is the original recipe with both ghee and sugar that inspired this fat free one with jaggery.

Ingredients

1/4 kg split green lentils with skin/ salichi moog dal

1/4 jaggery

1 cup milk

In a dry wok roast the dal till it starts emanating a nutty flavor. 

Cool a bit and while still warm powder it in the dry grinder. Make it fine.

Now put the jaggery in the wok and let it melt. Once the jaggery is completly molten and bubling like lava, fold in the powdered dal. Mix well and homogenize. Let it cool enough for you to be able to roll the rolly pollies. You can add nuts at this point. I did not use any nuts this time. Then add the cup of milk. The consistency of the mix has to be like soft dough. Go slow on milk if you think you have the right consistency for the rolling. Shape the ladoos. Spread them out in the plate, each with a little space around to prevent from sticking and should retain a good shape.

Don't worry about the milk it gets absorbed well and the ladoos have a good shelf life of a month. These ladoos are fat free so for best taste eat then within a week. As they age they dry out and turn hard. Enjoy a healthy breakfast with a ladoo a day.

Dad was happy to start his day with Ladoo and Chivda whole of last week. It is the traditional breakfast/ snack in many Maharashtrian homes and continues to be in the rural areas.