Churma ladoo (Or laddu) is a mouth-watering sweet dish from Gujarat and Rajasthan. People all around the country make and love ladoos.


Generally, people make churma ladoo during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi in Gujarat. In Rajasthan, churma ladoo (Or just churma) is served with Dal Bati.

Filled with dry fruits and rich with royalness in taste, churma ladoo will surely win the hearts of people of all ages. People also call it Atta churma ladoo because wheat flour is an essential ingredient in ladoo.

The origin of churma is unknown, but there are some folktales about how churma was invented/made. According to one folktale, a cook accidentally poured sugarcane juice into the bati (Bati from dal bati). One more folktale tells us that homemakers used to keep the batis in sugar or jaggery water to keep it fresh.

One little bit detailed origin story of churma tells us that churma was invented by the royal cook of Mewar when he accidentally poured sugarcane juice on bati. Hence, it is popular in Rajasthan.

3 Ways to make Churma ladoo

  1. Frying the dumplings: Frying is the most commonly used way to make churma ladoo. We have done it the same way here: it is the simplest of all ways to make the churma ladoo. Make dumplings of the flour and then fry (shallow or deep).
  2. Baking: You can bake the dumplings instead of frying them. Baking is comparatively a healthy way to make churma ladoo. This way, if someone can not eat fried food for health reasons, they can also enjoy the sweet taste of ladoo.
  3. Chapati/Bhakhri: You can also make ladoo with the help of bhakhri or chapati. It is an excellent alternative to frying as well as baking. It is the easiest and least time-consuming way to make churma ladoo. You just have to make bhakri and cut it into small pieces to prepare the ladoo.

An old game played with Churma ladoo:

There is a game which I recall used to be played with these delicious ladoos. When making large numbers of ladoos, mom or grandmother would hide a coin inside one of the ladoos. The person to find the coin was the winner of the game. This game took the fun of eating ladoos to another level.

Suppose you are making ladoos for a festival or even a family function. This game will surely make the function more memorable and fun. Make sure you tell people that there is a coin in their ladoo. Also, make sure you use a slightly bigger coin so it is easy to notice and no kid swallows it.

Tips:

  • You can keep the flour coarse. It does not have to be super fine. If it is, it’s good, but by keeping it coarse, you can save time, and it tastes just as amazing.
  • While preparing the dough, you can use water, but if you wish to give it an extra rich taste, you can also use milk!
  • The time needed to bake the flour dumplings can vary from oven to oven. OTG ovens will bake the dumpling perfectly in 10 minutes if the oven is preheated, whereas the conventional oven may need a little more time. Refer to your oven manual for baking time and temperature. Check with one or two dumplings first to see how much time your oven will require to bake.
  • Be patient with the process if you choose to fry the dumplings. Fry for 12-15 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add jaggery after the churma comes to room temperature.
  • You can use both sugar and jaggery to make the ladoo differently.

FAQs

Is churma ladoo made with jaggery healthy?

Ladoo is a rich source of nutrition and fibre. Churma ladoo we made is with jaggery instead of sugar, so you don’t have to worry about sugar levels. And the ghee also provides a lot of energy to the body. Still, you should consume them in moderation.

Can I use jaggery powder?

Yes, you can! It makes your work easy. You will not have to melt the jaggery if you are using jaggery powder.

How long does Churma ladoo stay fresh?

Usually, at room temperature, ladoo stays fresh for a week or so, but it is not recommended to be kept at room temperature. If you store them in the fridge, the time can be a bit longer, but you have to wait for them to come at room temperature before having them.

Can I eat churma ladoo if I am on a diet?

Generally, yes, you can, but it is better to consult your dietician and show them the recipe and the measurement of the calories. Further, if you want to avoid oil intake, ensure you bake the ladoos and not fry them.

Is ladoo good for weight loss?

Since there will be ghee in the ladoo you should avoid churma ladoo. But if you wish to eat ladoo while losing weight, you should try Til Gud Ladoo.