TOASTED OAT , TAHINI & GINGER LADOO
It’s been a while since I made a new ladoo recipe and these have been hitting the spot lately with their satisfying, slightly sweet, slightly salty vibe.
Ladoos are a nourishing Indian sweet, think of them as the Eastern cousin to the Western modern-day energy ball. This recipe was created to celebrate the opening of the Indian beauty brand, Kama Ayurveda’s, new store in Notting Hill and is Vivek the founders favourite - a must make if you like tahini and a must try for anyone trying tahini in anything other than hummus! As part of the launch, I was asked to create three snacks and three hot drinks to serve in store. Perfectly paired with a Golden Milk or CCF tea (two of the three drinks on offer in store too), I’ve been recipe-testing these for the past few weeks and have now gotten into the habit of making them on repeat! I’d definitely always make plenty as they last ages, are a great snack to tide you over between meals and make a nice gift (Christmas is around the corner nudge nudge, hint hint) or thank you for your hostess at any festive dos. Some energy ball recipes use raw oats but here the oats are first toasted to make sure they are well cooked and easier to digest. This also gives them a deeper flavour. Once cooled, simply pulse in a food processor to grind them into a flour before blending in the other ingredients. The time-consuming part lies in the rolling of them into balls - a meditative time I find - a job to completely surrender to. Sure you can listen to a podcast or music if you like but you definitely don’t want to be scrolling on your phone, texting or trying to write lists with your sticky hands while you carefully measure out, compress and roll each ball! There is a bit of a knack to it but just like making pancakes or any other process it’s fiddly to start off with and then, hopefully… you’re away! If fiddly isn’t your thing check out my tip below the recipe for a cheat version….
METHOD
In a large pan or wok, toast on a medium-high heat for 5 mins stirring often, until the oats smell fragrantly toasty (take care not to make them crunchy which might make it harder for a normal food processor to grind). Allow to cool.
In a food processor, blend the cooled oats to a grainy flour. Process for a couple of minutes to get as fine a flour as possible, stirring a few times in between).
Add the other ingredients, except for the sesame seeds and blend the mixture until it forms a dough, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
Check that the dough is sticky enough to hold together if rolled into a ball. If not, add a little more tahini and/or maple syrup. You can also add a tablespoon or two of freshly boiled water to slightly loosen the mixture if your tahini is particularly thick but not more than that as you want the ladoos to hold their shape at room temperature.
Taste test and check that you like the flavour and adjust if necessary, adding a bit more ginger if you like.
Using a tablespoon measure, lightly grease the inside of the spoon with a little olive oil and pack the spoon with the mixture. Ease the mixture out, and then gently but firmly roll the mixture into a ball between 2 oiled palms.
Sprinkle sesame seeds onto a plate or board and roll the balls in them to coat. I find giving them a final roll between the palms helps the sesame seeds attach and produces a nicer finish.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or so, in the fridge for 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS
Makes approx 40
300g jumbo/rolled oats
375g tahini, well mixed
14 tbs (210) maple syrup
3 tbs dried ginger powder, plus extra to taste
¾ tsp sea salt
50 - 100g sesame seeds to decorate*
East by West tip: time poor? Simply line a small tray with baking or parchment paper and scoop in the mixture. Level it to about 1 cm high and then chill in the fridge. Use a knife to slice the mixture into squares or diamonds.
*You can toast the sesame seeds first if you like until golden, but keep an eye on them. Allow to cool fully before rolling the ladoos in them which helps with sticking I find.
** Adding water might reduce the shelf life slightly of the product at room temperature but won’t impact its freezer status.
A food processor gives these ladoos texture, for a finer finish use a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix to create a toasted oat flour.
Work with the ladoo dough immediately as it becomes more crumbly to work with when left to rest or chilled. If you need to bring it back together again blend it in the food processor again with a tablespoon or two of freshly boiled water until you get a mouldable dough again.
FOR MORE LADOO AND INDIAN-INSPIRED SNACK RECIPES TAKE A LOOK AT MORE RECIPES HERE:
