Moong Dal Ladoo is a tasty and melt in the mouth Indian sweet made using moong dal, sugar, ghee, nuts and flavoured with cardamom powder. Moong Dal Ladoo is also known as Nei Urundai or Paasi Paruppu Ladoo. It is one of the traditional South Indian sweets which is made often during special festivals.
I make this ladoo whenever I want a simple sweet but still special. It needs only few basic ingredients from pantry and takes very less time to make. The aroma of roasted dal mixed with ghee fills the kitchen and feels so festive. It is one of those sweets which tastes rich but still very light to eat.
Jump to:
About Moong Dal Ladoo
Moong Dal Ladoo is a traditional sweet from South India made mainly with roasted moong dal and ghee. We call it Nei Urundai in tamil. "Nei" means ghee in Tamil, and "Urundai" means round ball, so the name perfectly fits this soft and melt in the mouth sweet. It is prepared during special functions or even when guests visit home.
The main flavor comes from roasted moong dal which gives a nice nutty aroma and unique taste. When it is powdered and mixed with sugar, ghee and cardamom, the mixture turns soft and smooth that can be shaped easily into ladoos. The taste is rich and full of flavor, and it just melts when you take one bite.
There are few variations for this ladoo in each home. Some add a small pinch of edible camphor for extra flavour, and few people replaces suga with jaggery for a more rustic taste and make it more healthy. Either way, the base stays same - roasted moong dal powder mixed with warm ghee. This recipe is very forgiving, even beginners can do it easily without much effort.
I usually makes Nei Urundai during festivals. The smell of roasting moong dal fills the whole house and brings that festive feel. Once you start eating, really it is hard to stop with just one. My family loves this sweet and it disappears so fast every single time.
It is one of the easy ladoo recipes even beginners can try. My mother loves this nei urundai so when ever I make it she feels very happy. It is one of the nutritious and healthy ladoo recipes that you can try.
Similar Recipes
Moong Dal Ladoo Video
Moong Dal Ladoo Ingredients
- Moong dal - I have used yellow split moong dal, it gives nutty taste and soft texture after roasting. You can use whole moong dal also but the colour will be little darker.
- Sugar - I used regular white granulated sugar powdered finely. This adds sweetness and mixes well.
- Ghee - I used homemade ghee. It gives more flavour and makes the ladoos so soft and melt in the mouth. Just add in warm ghee slowly so mixture binds well.
- Cashews broken - I fried cashews in little ghee till golden and added for light crunch.
- Cardamom powder - This gives mild flavour. Use freshly ground powder makes ladoos smell so good. You can even add cardamom with sugar and powder it.
How to make Moong Dal Ladoo Step by Step
1.To a pan add 1 cup moong dal and start roasting in low flame.
2.Dry roast moong dal in low medium flame till it turns golden brown, it will take around 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3.To another pan add ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon ghee heat it. Add 2 tablespoon broken cashews. Fry until golden brown, remove from flame and set aside.
4.By now roasted moong dal would have cooled down. Now add it to a dry mixer jar.
5.Powder it finely. Add it to sieve.
6.Add ¾ cup granulated white sugar to the same mixer jar.
7.Powder it finely.
8.Now add it to the same sieve.
9.Sieve it well to a bowl. This ensures even mixing and also avoids grains and remains in the ladoo. Discard the remains. If there is more remains you can again grind, sieve and add.
10.Add ghee with cashews. Make sure ghee is slightly hot when you add it.
11.Slightly mix it then add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.
12.Add 1 tablespoon ghee. So in total we have used ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon ghee.
13.Mix it well until you see a mixture like this.
14.Take a small portion and press tight.
15.Shape into balls or ladoos.
Moong Dal Ladoo is ready!
Expert Tips
- Roasting dal - Roast moong dal slowly in low flame, keep stirring to avoid burning. It should turn nice golden colour and smell nutty.
- Sieving - I always sieve both powdered dal and sugar, this helps to remove grainy bits and gives smooth texture.
- Adding ghee - Add slightly hot ghee, mix with spoon and then shape when warm.
- Sweetness - If you like sweeter ladoos, you can use equal ratio of dal and sugar. The sweetness in this measure is perfect and balanced. You can replace powdered sugar with jaggery for a more healthy variation.
- Storage - Store in airtight box, it keeps good for more than two weeks. The flavor stays same if you keep it in cool place.
Serving and Storage
Serve this as festival sweet or after meal dessert. It goes very well with a cup of filter coffee also. You can make it ahead and store for gifting during special days. Store in clean airtight jar, no need to refrigerate. It stays fresh for around two weeks easily.
FAQS
1.Can I use jaggery?
Yes, you can use jaggery instead for slightly different taste. But make sure to use jaggery without impurities as we are adding it directly.
2.Why my ladoos are not holding shape?
Maybe less ghee added or mixture is too dry. Add few spoons of warm ghee again and mix, it will come together.
3.Can I roast dal in advance?
Yes, you can roast and store moong dal powder in airtight jar for few days. Just warm slightly before mixing with sugar and ghee.
4.Is this ladoo healthy?
It is made from moong dal which is protein rich, and ghee gives good fat. It is healthy when eaten in small quantity.
5.Is sieving mandatory?
Yes, I would recommend sieving for 2 reasons : one is that you can ensure even mixing of powdered sugar and moong dal and second being you can avoid the grainy bits in your ladoo.
If you have any more questions about this Moong Dal Ladoo Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Moong Dal Ladoo Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Moong Dal Ladoo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoon broken cashews
Instructions
- To a pan add 1 cup moong dal and start roasting in low flame.
- Dry roast moong dal in low medium flame till it turns golden brown, it will take around 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- To another pan add ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon ghee heat it. Add 2 tablespoon broken cashews. Fry until golden brown, remove from flame and set aside.
- By now roasted moong dal would have cooled down. Now add it to a dry mixer jar.
- Powder it finely. Add it to sieve.
- Add ¾ cup granulated white sugar to the same mixer jar.
- Powder it finely.
- Now add it to the same sieve.
- Sieve it well to a bowl. This ensures even mixing and also avoids grains and remains in the ladoo. Discard the remains. If there is more remains you can again grind, sieve and add.
- Add ghee with cashews. Make sure ghee is slightly hot when you add it.
- Slightly mix it then add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Add 1 tablespoon ghee. So in total we have used ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon ghee.
- Mix it well until you see a mixture like this.
- Take a small portion and press tight.
- Shape into balls or ladoos.
Video
Notes
- Roasting dal - Roast moong dal slowly in low flame, keep stirring to avoid burning. It should turn nice golden colour and smell nutty.
- Sieving - I always sieve both powdered dal and sugar, this helps to remove grainy bits and gives smooth texture.
- Adding ghee - Add slightly hot ghee, mix with spoon and then shape when warm.
- Sweetness - If you like sweeter ladoos, you can use equal ratio of dal and sugar. The sweetness in this measure is perfect and balanced. You can replace powdered sugar with jaggery for a more healthy variation.
- Storage - Store in airtight box, it keeps good for more than two weeks. The flavor stays same if you keep it in cool place.
Veena Theagarajan
looks so yummy.. perfect balls
Nivedhanams Sowmya
very festive and delicious!!!
Indu Prakash
Awesome laddus !!
Pavithra
Thanks Sharmi. Made this for Diwali. It came out well but the ladoos weren't soft and smooth like my mom's. Why do you think it is? Thanks a lot.
SHARMILEE J
You should mix well and break the lumps formed before you shape them...this way you will get smooth ladoos....
Pavithra
Thanks for the reply Sharmi. I followed your recipe word for word. Few differences might be I ran the powders in mixie (few pulses) after adding ghee .
Mamatha BR
This is one of my favorite sweets. Which Taste's awesome. Thanks of the tips. One can add dry grated coconut also.
Sakthi
Hi Sharmi, I tried this ladoo and my 5 yr old son liked alot.
Thank you!
Archana
Hi Sharmi,
I want to use store bought moong flour. Do I need to fry the flour before making ladoos? Thanks in advance
SHARMILEE J
Yes roast it for few mins without changing the color....Its its roasted already you don't need to...
Unknown
Can you use icing sugar instead of sugar.
SHARMILEE J
Yes you can try