Protein Laddu
Super rich in protein, vitamins and minerals this Protein Laddu has become my go to snack recently. I generally like to have something sweet after a meal or when I feel low and want something to boost my energy. With the goodness of roasted bengal gram, flax seeds, dry nuts and jaggery this laddu is quick to make and comes handy during these random sweet cravings.
These delicious laddus are a great option to gift when you visit friends and family. It is also ideal for growing kids as a snack in their lunch box or as an after school snack because it is packed with protein and tastes awesome. This recipe is quite versatile and you can play around with the ingredients according to your choice or availability. Stays fresh for 10 to 15 days at room temperature and for a month when refrigerated.
With minimal cooking involved this Protein Laddu will be a great addition to your quick fix snack list!
Ingredients
Roasted bengal gram – 1 1/2 cups
Flax seeds – 1/4 cup
Walnuts – 1/2 cup
Almonds – 1/2 cup
Pistachio – 1/2 cup
Jaggery (powdered) – 1 1/2 cups
Salt – a pinch
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Saffron – 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 1/2 cup (Use plant based oil/butter for vegan option)
Yield
25 lime sized laddus
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Method
1) On minimum heat, dry roast the flax seeds and the roasted bengal gram until aromatic (approximately 3 to 4 mins). Set aside in a bowl. Let cool.
2) In the same pan, dry roast walnuts, almonds and pistachios until warm to touch. Transfer this to a plate and let it cool down.
3) In a mixer grinder grind the flax seeds and the roasted bengal gram until powdered. Then add walnuts, almonds and pistachios and pulse a few times. Transfer this mixture to a wide bowl. Now take the jaggery and pulse this also few times to break any lumps. Transfer this jaggery to the ground mixture.
4) Add salt, cardamom powder and saffron to the nuts-jaggery mixture. Mix well. Heat ghee in a small tempering pan until just warm and add it to the mixture. Mix roughly with a spoon and pack the mixture tightly in the bowl like how you would do for cheese cake biscuit base. Set aside for 5 mins.
5) After 5 mins mix everything with greased hand until incorporated well. Take a handful of laddu mixture and press firmly in your palm to make small round balls/laddus. Place it on a plate until the protein laddus cool down completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- I’ve used good quality jaggery powder in this recipe. You can replace jaggery with brown sugar or country sugar.
- Pulse the mixer when processing the nuts. Running the mixer continuously will release the natural oil in it. So instead of a nice sandy texture you will end up with a lump that will stick to the sides of the mixer jar.
- I’ve used cardamom powder and saffron to add a nice flavour to this dish. You can use nutmeg powder in this protein laddu too, as an alternative.
- I’ve used walnuts, almonds and pistachios, but you can use any dry nuts. Adding roasted peanuts instead of pistachios is also a great option.
- To give a totally different flavour to this protein laddu you can add 2 tbsp of unsweetened peanut butter and vanilla essence. This way you can reduce the amount to ghee/oil and avoid cardamom powder totally.
- Make sure the laddus are at room temperature before storing it in a clean container.
- For some similar quick bite recipes check out my No Bake Chocolate Biscuit Bars and Walnut Cashew Chikki recipes.
