PEANUTS AND DATES LADOO / PEANUTS AND DATES BALLS

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

This is a sweet but healthy dish surely loved by kids and adults as well. It's an very easy dish to prepare. This is healthy as it contains all the good things - peanuts, dates, ghee and jaggery. You can easily find ghee and jaggery in any Indian grocery store. From what i have learned since childhood is that jaggery is healthier than sugar. Also it goes very well with peanuts. As kids, we used to eat roasted peanuts and jaggery  together, that combination tasted awesome! It is also very filling and ofcourse healthy. When you are looking for jaggery, try to find the "Kohlapuri jaggery" - it is yellowish white in color and has a nice sweet taste. Ghee is a very common ingredient used in India for all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes. You can even make ghee at home. This dish can also be eaten when you are on "upvas" or "fasting".

Ingredients :-

1 cup plain roasted peanut powder (recipe follows)
1/2 cup dates finely chopped
1/2 cup kohlapuri jaggery (If you don't find jaggery, you can add sugar)
1/4 - 1/2 cup ghee melted

Directions :-  

1.  Mix all of the above ingredients except ghee.

2.  Taste and see if you need more jaggery (the level of sweetness changes from person to person, also it depends on how sweet the dates are), add accordingly.

3.  Now add 1/4 cup of melted ghee, mix and try to make ladoos (the size you wish to eat :)). If the mixture is falling apart, add more ghee and form them into ladoos.

Roasted peanut-date ladoos

4.  You can store ladoos in an airtight container for about a week on the shelf. If the weather is too hot, then their shelflife will be less.

Variations :-

1.  You can omit the dates and just make the PEANUT LADOOS for a change. They taste equally nice.

2.  If you are making these ladoos in winter, you can add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger powder to it for a little warmth.

Directions for "Roasted peanut powder" :-

Buy raw unshelled peanuts from a grocery store. Roast them in a non-stick pan on medium heat for about 10-15 mins. or till the peanuts turn light brown in color and its skin starts to come off. It is important to toss them continuously or they will burn. Let them cool completely. Now grind them fine in a grinder or food processor. You can save some roasted peanuts and eat them with jaggery as i told you before. You can store these roasted peanuts or peanut powder in a glass jar on the shelf for about 15-20 days. Peanut powder can be used in many different vegetables/curries and salads.