Churma Laddus & my mother in laws legacy
Food Illustration by Sophia Katharina x The food and love project
Story and recipe by Malti Ashar @chef.malti :
Hello, myself Malti Ashar... A humble Home Chef. I agree with whoever said that age is just a number. At the age of 58 still, I feel I can learn share and explore. I am learning a lot from my daughters - they have exposed me to the wonders of technology - I have learnt a lot past few years. My food journey on Instagram started 4 and a half years ago - I started uploading pictures along with content - It’s been a journey of 800 plus posts so far.
My actual food journey began from my childhood, when it came to the topic of cooking I use to tell my mom, I will prepare the meals. According to the tastes of the joint family and their likes, I use to prepare the daily menu myself. I gained a lot of traditional cuisines knowledge from my mother. Also how to prepare dishes in combination which we now know as thali culture. I still remember the aroma of my mom’s dal dhokli. I learnt a lot from my mom how to prepare different varieties along with methods of spices, tempering and garnishing. My mom’s other specialities were Puran puli / osaman / lachko dal / sambhariyu shaak (as fresh veggies use to be available during the winter season) It was a speciality during my childhood days. I still prepare all these traditional recipes which my family members love a lot.
Also preparing the meals around side dishes/pickles/salads / khariyu etc. After marriage when I came to Mumbai from Gujarat.
My passion for cooking bloomed as I learnt new recipes from my mother in law. The best one which I still prepare is Churma Laddus. I didn't know how to prepare these laddus in a way that my mom in law knew how to prepare the same. Right from the beginning, I have been a person who loves to learn from others.
My mom in law taught me how to prepare these laddus. Right from the measurements to follow the recipe steps, it's very visual for me as I have been preparing these laddus for 36 years now. It's a legacy, a family recipe of my mom in law's - mom from whom she had learnt it. For me, it's not just a recipe but a treasure that I will cherish forever. It brings me immense joy to share that now my daughter has learnt this recipe and she treasures it too.
Churma Laddus are usually prepared on the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi. These are also prepared during Shraddh days. Churma is quite a famous and authentic sweet recipe from Rajasthan, the neighbour state of Gujarat in India. It is basically a sweet prepared from jaggery, ghee (clarified butter) and coarsely ground whole wheat flour and chickpea flour.
This recipe is culture-specific and also has a geographical touch to it. It's a perfect blend of Rajasthani Cuisine as they prepare Churma while Churma Ladoos are prepared in Gujarat.
Almost a year ago I prepared Churma Laddus for the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi also known as the day of letting go and visarjan. Churma Laddus is one of the very dear sweet prepared and served to Lord Ganesha all 10 days during the festival. My family has been celebrating the Ganesh Chaturthi Utsav past 25 years and I am very glad that we don't do visarjan but believe in keeping Lord Ganesha in our home temple and our hearts.
Churma Laddus : Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 kg coarse whole wheat flour 250 gm
organic jaggery (grated)
150 gm clarified butter (desi ghee)
2 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
1 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal)
2 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
1 cup oil (for kneading the dough)
2 cup water (lukewarm)
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1. In a bowl add coarse whole wheat flour, chickpea flour and 1 cup lukewarm oil. Combine these ingredients by adding and 2 cups of lukewarm water and knead into a stiff dough.
2. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and give a shape to each portion, into the shape of your fist and by pressing it with your four fingers, in the centre of each portion. In this way muthiya's would be ready.
3. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai and deep-fry two muthiya's at a time on a medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides. Drain on an absorbent paper and allow the muthiya's to cool at room temperature. Repeat the step and fry the remaining muthiya's.
4. Once the muthiyas cool down, break the muthiyas into small pieces and grind them in a mixer on pulse mode (into a medium powder). Now add the elaichi (cardamom) powder and nutmeg and mix well. The churma is now ready.
5. Take a pan and heat the desi ghee on a medium flame and add the grated jaggery once the ghee is medium hot. Mix it consistently using a spatula. This procedure will take five minutes approximately. Switch off the flame.
6. Add the ghee-jaggery mixture to the "churma" using a spatula till the mixture cools down. And mix consistently.
7. Divide the mixture into 15 equal portions and shape each portion into a small round ball and roll in the poppy seeds till they are evenly coated from all the sides.
8. Store in an airtight steel container. These churma laddus stay fresh for a week.
Malti Ashar
@chef.malti