Oats - Corn flakes - Walnuts Laddu

Happy Deepavali to One and all. Let us celebrate together and enjoy the festival of lights. 

Deepaavali is one of the National Festival of India and people do celebrate all over the world where ever they live. This Deepaavali I have prepared Oats - Corn flakes - Walnuts Laddu/laadu/Unde.

This Oats - Corn flakes - Walnuts Laddu is good for health and you can munch on any time of the day.

This Year  Deepavali starts from 6 - 11 - 18. The preparation of sweets and savouries is already started. I was just thinking of some thing healthy, easy and energetic laddu/ laadu/ Unde to prepare. So tried laddu with cornflakes, oats, walnuts and dates.

This laadu can be kept for many days and You can distribute to your friends, neighbours and take it for travelling too.

Let us see the recipe Now : 

Things Needed :

Oats : 400 Gr pack 

Corn Flakes : 1 Big Bowl 

Walnuts : 1 Small Cup

Raisins : 1 Cup 

Jaggery   250 Gr or little more 

Ghee : 1 Cup

Roasted Chenna /Huri Kadale /Putani : 1 Cup

Dry Coconut /Kopra / Kobbari : 1 small one 

Cardamom : 8 to 10

Method :

1. Dry roast oats on low flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Dry roast corn flakes for 3 to 4 minutes. Let it get cool.  Dry grind oats and corn flakes into powder.

2. Dry grind copra and cardamom pods. Dry grind roasted chenna in to coarse powder. ( Just give a churn). Do not turn them as powder.  Remove from the mixi jar and keep it aside.

3. Dry roast corn flakes and dry grind it with walnuts.

4. Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Add jaggey and put some water. (1/4 cup).

5. Let jaggery melt completely. Sieve jaggery with a siever. Keep the clean jaggery mixture aside.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery mixture and stir continuously.

7. Let it get into one string consistency. Add dry ground coconut.

8. Now add all the powdered ingredients one by one. Dry ground oats, corn flakes.

9. Mix all the ingredients nicely and put off the fire. Now add coarse powdered chenna and mix it.

10. Put the pan down ,add ghee and raisins. Mix it nicely.

11. Take a handful of Oats - Corn flakes -  walnuts and coconut mixture and press it tightly, closing your hand. Try to give a round shape and prepare laddu.

12. Prepare the rest of laddu and keep it in a big bowl. Let it be there for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

13. Put them in a air tight boxes and  cover the lid. Store and serve these Corn flakes - Oats and Walnut laddu. 

14. Serve these Laddus in the evening or any time of the day. Store it in air tight box.

Note :

You need to roast it nicely so that the raw smell disappear and it taste so good.

Adding raisins more /less is optional.

Adding a cup of ghee adds taste to Laddu. Adding more /less ghee is optional.

Add little more ghee / little fresh boiled milk if you are not able to give a ball shape abd then prepare Laddu. Frying raisins in a tablespoon of ghee is optional. ( I have used it as it is ).

Time : 30 Minutes.

30 Laddus can be prepared. ( According to size ).

Aralu hittina Unde/Gundittu Unde

Aralu Unde is specially made for Gokulastami /Shri Krishna Janmastami. It is one of the must laddu prepared  and do arpan as Navaidyam for Shri Krishna.

Aralu Hittu /Gundittu is special flour prepared with puffed rice. Dry roasted puffed rice /a type of avalakki is ground to make flour and then used for preparing Laddu.
Udupi Shri Krishna temple is in Udupi and I am very proud that I belong to that region. I have seen Shri Krishna's Astami Sambrama so many times in Ratha beedi./Car street, the street around the Asta Matt.
Varieties of Eatables are prepared for Shri Krishna and it is kept as Naivedyam at night. According to  to the star Rohini, Shri Krishna's birth. People fast whole day on that day, ( Shravana Masada Shukla pakshada 8 ne dina ). Then only people eat. The very next day whole of Udupi and around Udupi the celebration starts in the morning. People decorate themselves different Vesha/Costume and visit houses and get some money. It is fun to watch these and you do enjoy seeing many people with different costume. Huli Vesha / People in the costume gather and dance according to the beat as tigers it is really fantastic. All these people go to Udupi Vitla Pindi Utsav, they do take part in the celebrations and processions with Lord Shri Krishna and Lord Mukya Prana/Hanuman/Hanumantha /Maruthi.
The Golden  Chariot is pulled around the Car Street , Shri Krishna sitting in it. The whole place is filled with people around the world to watch Shree Krishna's Utsav. Number of Huli Vesha groups dances and the instruments like drums and other musical instruments are played and move with Shri Krishna's procession. We say our janma pavana by seeing the Utsav. 
Laddus prepared by Mutts, distributed to the whole large group which do take part in processions andsome schools, near by offices, banks also will get the prasads from Shri Krishna Mutt.
This is about Shri Krishna Astami/Gokulastami celebrations
Even at home different varieties of laddus are prepared for naivedyams and Aralu Unde is one of it.
This Aralu Hittu is available only during Astami time.
I have been to Udupi just before Shri Krishna Janmastami and brought some flour and prepared this laddus.
This puffed rice is already roasted and no need to roast the flour again. You can add ghee according to your requirements. Adding more ghee helps the laddu to be tasty. Less ghee turns the laddu hard after a day and you need to break a laddu and have it. ( It means its hard to eat).
 Aralu Hittu is good for health and it helps to keep your body warm.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Aralu Hittu /Gundittu : 3 Cups
Ghee : 1/2 Cup or little more
Jaggery : 1 1/2 Cup ( Powdered)
Cardamom : 6 to 8 Pods
Cashews : 2 Tablespoons ( Cut into small)
Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Coconut : 1 Cup
Sesame Seeds :  2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Powder jaggery and keep it aside.

2. Grate coconut and dry grind it, keep it aside. Dry roast sesame seeds and powder it.

3. Remove the pods from cardamom and powder it.
4. Keep a small pan and put 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry cashews and
5. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of water. Let the flame be low.
 Let jaggery melt and bubbles starts and it starts to bubble.

6. Let it get one string syrup consistency. Keep stirring for another 2 minutes.

7.  Add grated coconut and mix it well. Take out the pan on fire and put off the fire.

8. Add Gundittu/ Aralu flour and mix it well. Add ghee fried cashews and raisins.

9. Add remaining ghee and mix it slowly.  Add powdered cardamom.

10. Take a handful of mixture in your palm and fold the palm tightly and turn the flour in round shape.

  

 11. Repeat the same and prepare laddu /unde and arrange them in a tray or bowl.

12.  Put them in a serving bowl. Let it cool. Store them in a air tight box or bottle and serve as you wish.

 Note :

Let the syrup consistency be just little more thicker than one string consistency.  Check the consistency with your finger tips. It should be slightly sticky. Not watery. Let the mixture be bit cool to turn them as laddu. The hot mixture burns the hand because of the heat. Add little ghee if you feel that, the mixture is completely dry. You can add hot milk also, but you can not store them for a long. Milk used Laddu get fungus. So better use melted ghee. Adding more jaggery is optional.
If dry roasted avalakki is available you can buy and powder the avalakki and use it for laddu.

Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3o to 40 Laddus/Unde.

Energy Laddu

Energy Laddu /Laadu /Unde is an easy dish and it helps to keep you full and provides energy. These energy laddu is prepared using dry coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds, oats, almonds, raisins and little ghee.

These laddu/laadu/unde is full of nutritious and healthy. Eating a laadu keeps you full for a long time. These Energy Laadu can be taken for travelling, kids snack box, kids parties and ladies kitty party.
These Energy Laddu is diabetic friendly and it has oats.

Lets see some benefits of eating poppy seeds in our diet.
Poppy seeds are filled with medicinal values. They helps to keep our mind and body cool. They are filled with anti-oxidants and a mono saturated fatty acid called Oleic acid. It helps in lowering the bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol level in blood. Poppy seeds have good source of dietary fiber.It is good for people who suffer from constipation. Poppy seeds are filled with B -complex vitamins. They contain good amounts of minerals like, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. Copper helps in the production of red blood cells. Potassium helps in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. It is good for soothing nervous irritability and act as pain killers. Poppy seeds are used in many traditional medicines and in the preparation of cough mixture.
Let is see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Oats : 400 Grams
Almonds : 1 Small cup / 15 to 20 pods
Jaggery : 1 big cup 150 to 200 grams
Raisins : 1 Small cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Dry coconut : 1 ( Small one )
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Home made Rose Gulkand : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Dry roast oats for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off. Dry grind once it is cooled.

2. Cut dry coconut into small pieces.

3. Dry grind almonds, dry coconut and oats like powder consistency.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of plain water. Let jaggery melt completely.
5. Let it boil and get one thread consistency. Stir in between and let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes on low and medium flame. Add home made gulkand at this point. Mix it well. ( Optional ).

6. Put off the fire and keep the jaggery melted pan down. Add powdered oats, almonds, coconut, raisins and 2 tablespoons of ghee.

7. Mix all the ingredients nicely and take a small amount of the mixture and make laddu/laadu/unde.

8. Prepare more laddus and arrange it in a big bowl or tray.
9. Sprinkle poppy seeds on them and slowly turn the bowl, roll laddu and make the unde to get proper puppy seeds on each laddu.

10 Let all the laddus cool a bit. Now you can put them in a box and serve when ever you want.
11. 40 Laddus can be prepared.

12. Put them in a steel box and store. This Laddu can be kept for a week.

Note :

It is a must to use completely dry coconut.
I have used organic jaggery from Udupi. So did not filter the jaggery water. Used it directly.
Use of more ghee is optional. Use of gulkand is optional. Gulkand adds to the taste and aroma.
Add more ghee on the top of the mixture and prepare laddu quickly or add little warm milk and prepare laddu.
Time : 30 to 40 Minutes.
Serves : 40 Small Laddu can be prepared.
Purely Indian Sweet/Desert/ Energy Laddu.