Step-wise picture recipe to make the most perfect Motichoor Ladoo at home, a perfect Diwali sweet! This is a fail-proof easy recipe for homemade motichoor ladoo for Diwali or any festival.
Wishing you all a very happy Diwali 🙂 So deepavali is here finally! And I am here with my last and final recipe for this year’s festival of lights. After contemplating for the last two years, I ended up making Motichoor Ladoo finally and how much more festive can it get than this?! If I say I am a little obsessed with Boondhi/Ladoo, it is not an exaggeration at all. No, don’t get me wrong. It is not about stuffing my face with these beauties but it is all about making them at home for me. Truth be told, I don’t even like laddus much. With one exception – I adore Motichoor Laddus.
Our family loves Laddus/Ladoos and for any festival or function at home, we make boondhi laddus by default. And I come from a family of laddu experts. From my Ammumma (maternal grandmother) to my Mammagaru (paternal grandmother), they are all so good at making laddus at home. So needless to say, I have grown up assisting them making laddus. One of my most favorite things to do is make Boondhi. And then making of the laddus itself is such a family tradition, to sit together and chat endlessly!
Compared to the large sized yellow colored Boondhi Laddus from South India, these Motichoor Ladoos from Norh India are so different. When they were introduced in the South, they were (and still are) a rage. The boondhi for making these Motichoor Ladoo is so tiny that it is the most beautiful thing. But to get it correctly takes a lot of practice. I had been in search of a perfect Boondhi ladle since two years and was so disappointed when I couldn’t find it this year too, that is until last Saturday. The husband was super sweet to go on a wild goose hunt and came back home with this beauty of a boondhi ladle. Time and again, I realize why I love this man so much 🙂
I had a general idea of making Motichoor Ladoo but to perfect it, I looked at so many recipes on the internet. This recipe is adapted from rakskitchen which gave me the much needed confidence to try this at home. I modified the recipe based on a few more findings and it turned out so perfect. Last but not the least, it is not very easy to make at home but give this a shot if you are up for an adventure and be sure to have a helping hand.
How to make Motichoor Ladoo –

Prep Time | 15minutes |
Cook Time | 30minutes |
Passive Time | 20minutes |
Servings | ladoos |
- 1cupGram Flour/Besan
- 1tbspFine Semolina
- 1/4tspOrange Food Color
- Oil for deep frying
- A pinch of salt
- 3/4cupWater(approximately)
- 3/4cupSugar
- 1cupWater
- 2Green Cardamoms
- 3dropsRose Essence
- 8-10Pistachios
- 2tbspDry Roasted Melon Seeds
- Ghee as needed
Ingredients For Motichoor Boondhi –
For Sugar Syrup –
Other Ingredients –
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- In a mixing bowl add gram flour, fine semolina, orange food color and a tiny pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Add water little by little and mix the batter well without any lumps.
- The batter should be free flowing, adjust the quantity of water to get the right consistency.
- Meanwhile heat oil for frying. Once it is hot, set it on medium flame. Take size-1 Boondhi Ladle that has the smallest holes. Place it directly above the oil for frying at around 1/2 feet distance. It can either be rested on a tall container or you can hold it too.
- Pour the batter all over the ladle and gently tap the rod with your hand. This ensures that the boondhis fall into the oil. Alternatively, if you have placed the ladle on a tall container, then tap the handle on it. Continuously do this until the batter has gotten over. Wash and pat dry the ladle for next batch.
- Let the boondhis cook for a minute or so. Take them off the oil and drain them well on a tissue.
- Repeat this with rest of the batter and it is important to keep the temperature of the oil same for every batch.
- For even sized boondhi, it is essential to wash the ladle of any residual batter.
- To make the sugar syrup, mix sugar with water and let it come to a boil.
- Add crushed cardamoms and rose essence (if using) and continue to cook the syrup on medium flame.
- When the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency (when the syrup is wiped off from the spoon with your fore finger and touch between your thumb, a string should form) it is ready.
- Add prepared boondhi to the sugar syrup.
- Next add chopped and roasted pistachios along with dry roasted melon seeds.
- Mix well and cook this for 2-3 mins. Remove from heat and keep it covered for 20-30 mins.
- To make the ladoos, grease your palm with ghee and take palm full of boondhi, make ladoos. Repeat this with rest of the boondhi.
- Store these in an airtight container. Should stay good for 5-7 days.
Detailed step by step picture recipe of making Motichoor Ladoo –
1. In a mixing bowl add gram flour, fine semolina, orange food color and a tiny pinch of salt. Mix well.
2. Add water little by little and mix the batter well without any lumps. Set this aside for 15-20 mins.
3. The batter should be free flowing, adjust the quantity of water to get the right consistency.
4. Meanwhile heat oil for frying. Once it is hot, set it on medium flame. Take size-1 Boondhi Ladle that has the smallest holes. Place it directly above the oil for frying at around 1/2 feet distance. It can either be rested on a tall container or you can hold it too.
5. Pour the batter all over the ladle (not just at the center) and gently tap the rod with your hand. This ensures that the boondhis fall into the oil. Alternatively, if you have placed the ladle on a tall container, then tap the handle on it. Continuously do this until the batter has gotten over. Wash and pat dry the ladle for next batch.
6. Let the boondhis cook for a minute or so and not more than that. They should not get very crispy.
6. Take them off the oil and drain them well on a tissue.
7. Repeat this with rest of the batter and it is important to keep the temperature of the oil same for every batch.
8. For even sized boondhi, it is essential to wash the ladle of any residual batter.
9. To make the sugar syrup, mix sugar with water and let it come to a boil.
10. Add crushed cardamoms and rose essence (if using) and continue to cook the syrup on medium flame.
11. When the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency (when the syrup is wiped off from the spoon with your fore finger and touch between your thumb, a string should form) it is ready. Set it on low flame.
12. Add prepared boondhi to the sugar syrup.
13. Next add chopped and roasted pistachios along with dry roasted melon seeds.
14. Mix well and cook this for 2-3 mins. Remove from heat and keep it covered for 20-30 mins.
15. To make the ladoos, grease your palm with ghee and take palm full of boondhi, make ladoos. Repeat this with rest of the boondhi.
16. Store these in an airtight container. Should stay good for 5-7 days.
Note –
- In case size-1 boondhi ladle is not available, make regular boondhi and grind it coarse to get the same effect. Or make this with regular sized boondhi too.
- Don’t cook the boondhi until very crisp. Just cook them for a minute to get the right texture of ladoo.
- I used oil to fry the boondhi, but use ghee or mixture of ghee/oil for a richer version.
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Awesome Ramya. Looks perfect.
Thanks so much 🙂
These look absolutely gorgeous 🙂 it looks like orange pearls – Happy diwali dear
Thanks so much T 🙂
Awesome. You have nailed it. Happy Deepavali. I need to get a proper boondhi and karasev ladle too.
Thanks a lot Sri 🙂
Yum, awesome treat!
Thanks so much Antonia 🙂
This looks absolutely stunning. Loved the detailed recipe. Cheers.
Thanks much 🙂
thanks for sharing the good content.