Moong Dal Laddu

Roasting and preparing moong dal flour

1. Heat a thick bottomed pan or kadai on a low flame. Then add moong dal.
2. If you want you can rinse the moong dal first. Spread the lentils on a plate or tray or on a cloth. 
3. Dry the moong dal naturally or in sunlight. Once the mung lentils have dried, then add them to the wok or kadai. If you want you can add directly too.
4. Keep the flame on low or sim and begin to roast the moong dal.
5. Continue to stir often while roasting. Keep on roasting and stirring for even browning and cooking.
6. The moong dal needs to be golden and become aromatic. Use a thick bottomed pan or kadai. 
7. If the pan or kadai is not heavy or has a heavy base, then the moong dal will get browned too fast with uneven cooking and roasting.
8. Remove the dal in a plate and let it cool.
9. Once the lentils have become warm or cooled down, add them in a grinder jar.
10. Grind to a fine flour.
11. Now take the moong dal flour in a fine seive.
12. Begin to sift the flour on a plate or tray or a large bowl or pan.
13. Keep the sifted moong dal flour aside.

Grinding sugar

1. In the same grinder, add ⅓ cup sugar. Also add cardamom seeds removed from 2 to 3 green cardamom pods.
2. Grind sugar to a fine powder.

Making moong dal ladoo

1. Add the powdered sugar to the moong dal flour. If you want you can even sift the sugar and then add. Mix very well.
2. Melt ¼ cup ghee in a pan. You just need to melt the ghee and not heat it. 
3. If adding dry fruits, you can add some sliced or chopped dry fruits at this step and saute them in ghee till they become light golden.
4. Add the melted ghee to moong dal flour and sugar mixture.
5. Mix very well with a spatula or spoon.
6. Let this mixture become warm or cool.
7. Then mix again very well with your hands.
8. Now start shaping portions of the mixture into neat round balls. If you are not able to make the ladoo, then allow to cool for some more time at room temperature.
9. Prepare ladoo like this with all of the mixture.
10. You can offer these Moong Dal Laddu to the deities as naivedyam or serve to your family. 
11. Store the remaining Moong Dal Ladoo in an air tight box or jar and keep at room temperature or refrigerate.