Dates, Seeds & Nuts laddu - Healthy sweet recipe

Chewy, crunchy & nutritious snack for those with a sweet tooth. No added sugar or flour.

Sweet roll made of dry fruit, nuts and seeds — Dry fruit, nuts and seeds laddu

This delightful laddu is prepared in our home on a regular basis, especially during winters. The dates and mixed nuts in the recipe provide all the essential oils and heat needed by our body, to face the cold and dry season.

My mother started making and sending these laddus to me, when I was in college. Those days, I had lost an insane amount of weight due to improper food in my PG (paying guest accommodation). I had become quite nutrient deficient and anemic (low hemoglobin). As a result, my skin had become pale, dry and saggy. I always felt tired and sleepy. That's when I started eating these laddus. The iron, protein and healthy fats in these laddus actually helped me get my daily nutritional requirements. I had 2 small laddus daily (sometimes 3 or 4) as a morning / evening snack. Within a few months my hemoglobin level was normal again. My skin became much healthier and the sleepy-tired feeling completely vanished.

INGREDIENTS :

(Makes : 15 small laddus)

1/2 tbsp - ghee (or coconut oil, if you're vegan), optional
1/2 cup or 90 gm - mixed nuts (I'm using almond and cashew nuts)
2 tbsp or 20 gm - pumpkin seeds (or any other seed of choice)
1 tbsp or 10 gm - poppy seeds / khus khus, optional
3 pieces or 25 gm - dried figs
1 tbsp or 15 gm - golden raisins
16 pieces or 150 gm - dates
A pinch of cardamom powder

PROCEDURE :

Total time : 25 mins [ Preparation : 10 mins + Cooking time : 15 mins ]

Step 1 : Roughly chop all the ingredients first. If you like finer pieces of nuts and seeds in your mouth, then blend them coarsely or crush them using a mortar and pestle.

Seeds, chopped nuts and dry fruits — Pumpkin seeds, khus khus, chopped mixed nuts and chopped dry fruits

Step 2 : Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add the chopped nuts to this and roast them on a low flame, till they are slightly aromatic and golden. Then, add the pumpkin seeds and stir them till they have puffed up in size.

Step 3 : Next, add the chopped figs and raisins. Stir them around for 10 - 15 seconds, then add chopped dates, a handful at a time.

Step 4 : Mix and stir the ingredients into each other, till they start binding together to form a rough ball.

Step 5 : Switch of the flame, add the poppy seeds, cardamom powder and mix well.

Step 6 : Let the mixture cool down a bit. Then, pinch small portions out of it and roll them between your palms to form smooth balls.

Dry fruits, nuts and seeds laddu — Rolled laddus

Step 7 : Once they have completely cooled down, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They may stay longer, but I never got to test it, as we usually finish it in a week. Enjoy this chewy yet crunchy sweet as a snack, or have it with a glass of milk for your breakfast.

TIPS :

You can skip the oil / ghee and dry roast the ingredients instead.
You don't have use the same nuts and seeds that I have used. You can use any nuts and seeds of your choice. Just remember to keep the quantity same.
If your ingredients don't bind well, then increase the amount of dates in the recipe. First, I had taken 100 gm dates thinking it would be enough. But, I had to add 50 gm more to the stick everything together. It's best to use soft dates to help with the binding.