In a mixing bowl, add gram flour, yellow food color and cooking soda. Mix everything well.
Pour water little by little and mix the batter until it is thick but runny.
Heat oil for deep frying the boondi. Place the boondi ladle over the hot oil at a height. Take a laddle of batter and pour it over the boondi ladle. Using another ladle, make circular motion on the batter as if making dosa. Even sized boondi will fall in the oil.
Don’t overcrowd the oil. If the batter is thick, you will get tails on the boondi. If the batter is runny, the boondi will be flat. So make sure it is at the right consistency.
Fry the boondi for less than a minute. It should not get crisp. It is enough if the boondi is cooked. It will have to remain soft. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain onto tissue paper.
Repeat this for the rest of the batter. Wipe off the back of the boondi ladle to get even-sized boondi after each or every other round.
Now prepare the sugar syrup. In a pan with sugar, add water until the sugar is immersed. I used approximately 1 cup of water.
In 5-7 minutes on medium flame, the sugar syrup will bubble and begin to thicken.
Check if the sugar syrup is one string consistency. If you swipe off the back of the ladle and touch the syrup with your index and thumb fingers, a distinct string should form. We are looking for two string consistency which comes within 3-4 mins after the one string consistency.
Switch off the heat, add cardamom powder. If using, add the edible camphor. Add only one mustard sized quantity as it can be over-powering.
Dump all the prepared boondi into the sugar syrup.
Mix it well and let it sit until it is warm enough to handle.
Meanwhile, fry cashews and raisins along with cloves in ghee and add them to the boondi.
Once the mixture is warm enough, you can make laddus. Take a handful of the boondi and start pressing it gently to make ladoos. Repeat this with rest of the boondhi.
Store these in an airtight container. Should stay good for 5-7 days.