#FeastingWithHealthntrends: Gond Aur Gulkand Ke Laddoo 

This perfect-for-Diwali laddoo from Chef Suraj Kumar Sahoo is easy to make and delicious 

“Gond or edible gum has many health benefits,” shares Suraj Kumar Sahoo, Executive Chef with Novotel Vijayawada Varun. “It is a good source of vitamin D, fibre and antioxidants and has properties to boost joint lubrication.”

Gond Aur Gulkand Ke Laddoo

Ingredients
250 g ghee (divided usage)
50 g almonds
50 g pista
50 g cashew nut
200 g gond (acacia gum)
300 g whole wheat flour
250 g sugar
25 g green cardamom powder
50 g dates
50 g gulkand
Crushed gond, to garnish
Chopped almonds, to garnish

Method

1. Heat 50 grams of the ghee in a non-stick pan. Add all the almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts and shallow fry over a slow flame until light brown. Remove from the flame and set aside to cool. Coarsely crush the nuts in a blender and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining ghee in a kadai and add the gond to it, ensuring that the gond grains are completely immersed in the ghee (the gond will not puff otherwise). Mix gently until the gond gets puffed. Remove the fried gond from the oil, drain and set aside to cool. 
3. Strain the ghee. 
4. Heat the strained ghee in a non-stick pan. Add the whole wheat flour and cook on a low-medium flame until golden brown. The flour will release an aromatic smell. Remove from the flame, and set aside to cool. Add the sugar and green cardamom powder to it and mix properly.
5. Chop the dates roughly and add gulkand to them. Mix well and set aside for the stuffing.
6. To prepare the laddoos, place the whole wheat mixture, coarsely chopped nuts and fried gond into a large mixing  bowl. Gently mix all the ingredients together to get a binding texture. You can also add some hot ghee while mixing to get the perfect texture. Take around 30 grams of the mixture, place a little date-gulkand mixture in the centre and reshape it like a laddoo. Repeat with the remaining laddoo mixture and date-gulkand stuffing. 
7. Garnish with the crushed gond and chopped almonds.

Image: Novotel Vijayawada Varun

Also Read: #FeastingWithHealthntrends: Cocktail Samosas With Walnuts