Make these glorious Churma na Ladwa with sugar for Ganesh Chaturthi and other festivities. Perfect Gujarati churma ladoo are rich with ghee, have a slightly coarse mouth feel and are delicately spiced.
You're not going to be able to stop at one!
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published August 2020. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.
Ask me which dish I crave all year round and I'll tell you its these churma ladoo.
At home, we only make these once a year on Ganesh Chaturthi. My thali is usually made up of jamanvar bateta nu shaak, vaal, Gujarati daal, poori and basmati rice. Of course, not forgetting these churma ladoo and everything is all eaten together at the same time.
When it comes to Indian and Hindu festivities, I love hearing stories from my Mum and how her family celebrated. We cook a lot of the family meals together, so she's always telling me where and how she picked up the dish we're cooking. These churma na ladwa are a replica of my Grandma's recipe.
There are some pointers for authentic churma na ladwa:
- Made with coarse wheat flour (ghau no jado lot) for a rustic, grainy texture
- Sweetened with sugar or jaggery
- Flavoured with cardamom and nutmeg for warmth and fragrance
- Bound with plenty of ghee, giving richness and melt-in-mouth quality
- Typically shaped into ladoo (balls) rather than left as loose churma
For this recipe I’ve used sugar, but you’ll also find gor churma ladoo with jaggery – a version that’s just as traditional, with a deeper sweetness compared to the lighter taste of sugar.
Now, you can also make a speedier version of churma ladoo that avoids deep frying but by far, these are more superior!
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Chapati flour – Traditionally, churma ladoo are made with bhakhri flour (also called ghau no jado lot), a coarse wheat flour you’ll easily find in India. Here in the UK, it’s almost impossible to source, so I make my own version by mixing whole wheat flour with a little fine or medium semolina – it gives the ladoo that same rustic texture and bite
Semolina – you only need to use semolina if you can't get hold of coarse wheat flour. The fine or medium varieties work.
Besan – aka gram flour. You need the fine variety.
Ghee – homemade desi ghee made from unsalted butter gives the best flavour but shopbought or even vegetable ghee works too. Aim for melted ghee rather than solid - it'll be much easier to work with.
Oil – flavourless oil (I use sunflower oil) for frying the muthiya.
Sugar – You specifically need caster sugar, which you can buy or like I do, grind down regular granulated sugar into a fine powder. In India, it's known as ‘BOORA/BURA KHAND’ or ‘TAGAR’.
Cardamom powder &and nutmeg powder – most Indian sweets are incomplete with cardamom powder. Nutmeg powder (jaiphal) is also an essential for authentic ladwa. I like to grate a whole nutmeg rather than buy powder just because I get better flavour.
White poppy seeds – also known as khus khus, and are a must in traditional Gujarati ladwa.
Optional:
Sugar crystals (sakar) - they give a really fun crunch and pop when added to the mixture.
Tips for success
These are tips we've picked up making this recipe over the years.
- Make sure you make a stiff dough and do not over knead.
- The muthiya should be about lemon sized for adequate cooking as they fry.
- While frying, poke the muthiya with a knife to allow the hot oil to cook the inside.
- Let the deep-fried muthiya cool completely before grinding.
- You can test how well your ladoo are bound. Test by dropping the first ladoo you roll gently in a plate. If it doesn’t break it means the ladoo are perfect. If they break, you need more ghee.
- Do not store these ladoos in the refrigerator, they will harden.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Churma Ladoo
Equipment
- Big plate/bowl
- Kadai
- Food processor
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cup wholewheat flour chapati atta
- ¾ cup semolina
- ¼ cup gram flour
- 1 ¼ cup ghee
- 1 ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 3 tablespoon white poppy seeds
- oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- In a wide plate combine the whole wheat flour, semolina and besan.
- Add ¼ cup ghee and mix well.
- Knead a stiff dough, adding a little water at a time.
- Divide the dough into equal parts and make equal sized fist cakes.
- Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai or pan.
- Carefully add the muthiya. Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry gently until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Place in a wide plate and break into small pieces so they cool quickly.
- Transfer into a food processor and grind till you get a coarse powder. You may also need to sieve if the pieces are still large or has lumps.
- Add powdered sugar, ghee, cardamom and nutmeg.
- Mix and rub the mixture well with your hands.
- Take a small amount of ladoo mixture and make a ball. Press down firmly to bind the mixture.
- Roll all the ladoo in poppy seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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The ladoo looks awesome. Just scrumptious and that texture is really melt in mouth. Thank you for sharing.
Omg the churma ladoo looks so delicious. I remember one of my Gujju friend used to bring them to us and I would finish them all in two-three days. I have tried them with jaggery only, will try this version too.
Churma ladoo looks absolutely scrumptious..I can truly feel the melt in the mouth!! Very well explained post with such great detailed recipe. Thanks for sharing this amazing dish with us.
Thats a detailed post explaining about churma ladoo. Love how it can be made with leftver roti;s. I love making ladoos for its versatality, bookmarking this to try!
I absolutely love this churma ladoo. It is a little extensive process but totally worth it. Love your detailed explanation and tips to make the perfect churma ladoo.
Wow that is a real in depth method of making choorma ladoo. Loved your the step by step recipe. Great for people like me who have heard about these ladoos but never tasted or tried them.
Khand na ladwa is what we call them. Your step by step preparation is so easy to follow and when you actually come to think of it, churma ladoo with sugar are so much easier to make than the jaggery churma ladoo. Beautiful photos.
Thank you for penning down all the details related to Churma Ladoo...Beautifully explained step by step recipe will help anyone to prepare this delicacy. Love the props and the pictures
That is a beautiful post with such great detailed recipe. I want to make these traditional Gujarati churma ladoo right away. Thanks for sharing this amazing dish with us.
Thanks Pavani
Such a detailed post on churma ladoo is surely a big help to one making them. They are looking to be absolutely stunning. Awesome post.
Thank you Payal
Apt for any occasion or no occasion I am game for these melt in the mouth choorma ladoos. They look absolutely amazing and beautiful Clicks as well.
Thanks for sharing a detailed recipe post.
Thanks Lata