P O W E R F U L · S W E E T S
There is more to the sweetness of these little homemade treats than one would think…. ✨
In date laddu dried fruits are combined with nuts. I used almonds, but you can also use cashews for example. Growing children can be given 2 of these little balls daily to provide them with energy and important minerals, but also new moms or girls in their puberty (after each menstrual cycle) were traditionally given date laddus.
Dates are rich in fibre, antioxidants, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamine B, A, K, and C, next to trace elements of copper, zinc, selenium, manganese.
Then the sesame laddus I made with ghee, cardamom, nutmeg and maple syrup. Sesame seeds are one of the oldest condiments known to humankind. From an Ayurvedic perspective, sesame seeds are sweet, bitter, pungent and astringent in taste. They absorb and enter the body channels very quickly and are considered to be strength promoting and good for the bones. Sesame seeds are an excellent source of copper, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamins B1, B6, and dietary fiber.
In general take one a day.
R E C I P E · Date Laddu
There are many possibilities to make these little balls packed with energy. I encourage you to play and try different combinations of nuts and spices to discover your favorite.
ingredients:
2 cups soft dates, pitted
2 cups nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews; you can choose one or combine two)
2 tbsp raisins
1 tsp ghee (optional)
½ tsp cardamom powder or crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp finely grated ginger (optional)
1 tbsp cacao (optional)
dry or dessicated coconut for rolling the laddu (optional)
method:
· Finely grind the nuts in a blender or food processor, and place them in a bowl.
> If you want you can first dry roast the nuts for extra flavor. If you use almonds, first peel the skins off [I often quickly put them in boiled water, so the skins release easily]
· Then chop the dates and raisins in a blender or foodprocessor, till they become quite fine.
> optionally you can add 1 tsp of soft ghee for more juicyness and fats.
· Add the dried fruits to the bowl of grinded nuts, include spices of your choice like cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, ginger, and/or some cacao.
· Knead all the ingredients together and roll small balls of about 2,5 cm.
· Finally you can roll them through fine dry coconut or cacao.
You can keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a week or two.