Sweet Indian Holiday Treats, Gluten Free!

                                            
   As I've said, I've rarely met a holiday I didn't like. Bring out the lights and the fun and the people and the food... I'm there. I'm also a very cheap date. Nothing has to be fancy to make me happy; it just has to be good. If stuff is good and sweet too, that's even better. This last week I've been making one of the tastiest holiday treats around... Indian Laddu. I've been making Laddu in honor of the Indian Feast of light Diwali, which has been going on  this last week. This photo has been making the rounds. Supposedly it's a NASA photo of India during Diwali celebration.

   Actually the story behind the photo is a myth. For the real explanation click here. I still think the photo is pretty cool however.

   Meanwhile, back at our house, it hasn't exactly been holiday time. We're nearly done with this draft of our script and are getting ready to turn it in. This means long days of work. Now contrary to what some may think, writing is not glamorous. Alan and I have been earning our living as  screenwriters for many years and I can tell you that writing is like digging ditches with your head... and that's on a good day. One of the best portrayals of a writer I've ever seen is in the film Adaptation. This is the life of a writer...unvarnished.



   He mentions a muffin. Yes, a muffin. That is something to look forward to in a writer's day. We need that little treat to keep us going. So in this last week, even though we haven't had the lights and the fun and the partying of Diwali, we have had the treats! The other day, I made some Rava Laddu. Yesterday I decided to make something that my friend Terri, who has to follow a gluten free diet, could enjoy. What better than a tasty festive Diwali Laddu made with gluten-free chickpea flour.

  The great thing about these laddu, is that they can be made very, very, very quickly. So if you've got an hour, you've got  a great dessert.

Vegan Besan Laddu

Here's what to do:
In a skillet or pan, melt a bit of butter and fry:
   2 Tbs of chopped chashews
   2  Tbs of sultana raisins.
When the raisins get plump and the nuts start to darken, take them off the flame and set them aside.

In a skillet, wok or kadhai heat 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick) until it foams and clarifies.

When the butter has melted add in:
  1 cup of sifted besan (chickpea flour aka gram flour aka garbanzo bean flour)
This type of flour is available at Indian markets of course, and now because of the availability of gluten-free flours, it's  also found at most mainstream supermarkets.
Add the flour a bit at a time on a low heat, and keep stirring. The idea is that the flour should not roast or brown, just turn a nice, aromatic golden color.
If you need to add a bit more melted butter to things to keep the flour moist, no problem, just do so.
When the flour is nice and golden, take the pan from the fire and set it aside. When things have cooled a bit add in:
 1 cup of powdered sugar

  1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
  The fried cashews and raisins.
Mix everything together well. If you need more melted butter to make things hold together... go ahead.
Separate the dough into 12 portions...

...and roll each one into  a ball.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them warm a bit before eating.
I like to serve them with a nice cup of unsweetened chai.

   Believe me, when one is banging one's head against a plot point at 3 in the afternoon, there's nothing better than one of these little beauties. And they're not just for Diwali either. I'm planning on making these for my Christmas parties also.

   So what am I working on now... besides the script? A couple of surprises including koftas, India's answer to gnocchi, and something I'm surprised I hadn't thought of before. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Put On Your Party Pants... It's Laddu Time!

   The holiday sweet-making season has been officially kicked off around our house with the Indian celebration of Diwali. Diwali, the Festival of Light, the celebration of the triumph of goodness over evil, is not something that I grew up celebrating in my Italian American household. No, we had stuff like Little Christmas which brought out some very "interesting" cheeses to say the least, and cakes with tiny, hard metal fortune telling treats baked into them. Bite in. Hit a Coin?! You'll have riches... so will your dentist.

   Despite this I have never met a holiday I didn't like. Celebrating something? Really? I'm down for it! Does this holiday feature some delicious tasty sweet treats? I'm double down. Are these treats easy to make with ingredients I don't have to drive 25 miles each way to whip up? Even better. I am so there. So here I am, smack in the middle of Diwali with some great easy and fast recipes. One of my favorites is Laddu.
  
   Laddu  are some of the most popular treats served at Diwali. These round, sweet balls of deliciousness are made of some sort of grain (yes, some are gluten free) mixed with melted butter or ghee and sugar, and finally stuffed with spices, nuts and raisins. Laddu can be made ahead and ready for party action within a couple of hours. And after all, when there's sweet stuff involved,  who doesn't want the trip from pan to mouth to be quick, quick, quick?  So, wasting no time..

Laddu

Here's what to do:
In a large bowl mix together:
  2 cups of fine semolina flour (found at any grocery store)
  1 cup of fresh grated coconut (you can always use frozen as I did, which can be gotten at most Hispanic or Asian markets.)
Mix it all together well, then cover the bowl and set it aside for at least a 1/2 hour or so.
In a large skillet or kadhai, melt 1/2 cup of ghee or 1/2 cup which is the same as 1 stick of unsalted butter. Melt it on medium heat.

When the butter is melting and foamy, add in the semolina and coconut mixture. Turn the heat down and saute the semolina and coconut.

Don't let the mixture brown, (keep stirring.) You want it nice and plump and golden, like this. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Put the mixture onto a plate and let it cool.
Meanwhile, here's the only scary part (for me) about making this dessert, and that is...

The Sugar Syrup.
Mix together:
  1 and 1/2 cup of sugar
  1 cup of water
in the skillet or kadhai.
Stir it around until the sugar melts  at a medium heat.
Then cook it down on a lower heat until the sugar water mixture gets to what is called single thread consistency. This is usually the part I hate as I get very nervous around melting sugar.
Here's a little explanation of Single Thread Consistency. What I did was watch the sugar syrup like a hawk until my candy thermometer came to about 222 degrees.

When the sugar syrup reaches that perfect temperature, take the pan off the flame.
Add in:
 20 golden raisins
 20 cashews

The ground up seeds from 8 cardamom pods
Mix everything together well.

Put a lid on things and let it sit for 30 minutes.
 Now for the fun.

Making The Laddus
Take the mixture and shape it into small balls by rolling it in the palms of your hands.
Little tip:  One thing that helps in doing this is moistening your hands.

This should make anywhere from 24 to 30 laddus. Store the laddus in an airtight container in the fridge. If you can't get your laddus into the right shape right away, just pop them in the fridge for a bit and then roll them again to a smooth and shiny finish.

   Serve them up with a cup of chai, or whatever makes your parties perfect! These were amazingly delicious and popular with everyone and will be making a repeat appearance on my table throughout the holiday season.

   Coming up next, these laddu are not the only sort out there. Another laddu is coming up that's completely gluten free! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori