Category Archives: Bangladeshi Sweets / Mishti

Mihidaana or motichoor laddu

making boondia is way too easy than making mihidaana , though they both have the same recipe . Boondia and mihidaana both need special type of instrument, a ladle , kind of perforated spoon to make them . Slotted or perforated spoons that are easily available in the market , can be used for making bondi without any hesitation . But being smaller in size , to make perfect mihidaana is always tough , specialy when you can’t find that special instrument to make that . I have tried so many thing , from colander to grater or even the strainer for the kitchen sink but ended successfully with the tea stariner . 😀 But yes , not only the tea strainer, you need to follow some tricks to make them perfect . 🙂

Ingredients :

For Batter:

1 cup besan/ Benglam gram flour
3/4th cup -1 cup water ( room temperature) + 1 or 2 tbl spoon more ( if needed)
Pinch of baking soda/ powder
Little food color
Little salt

For Sugar Syrup :

1 cup Sugar
1 cup of water
2 green cardamom and a small stick of cinnamon
1 tea spoon ghee ( at the end)

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a karahi on medium flame . Mihidanas need to be deep fried . In the mean time , start making the sugar syrup with the ingredients mentioned . The sugar syrup must me medium thick . It must not be thin . It must be like that , when you touch the syrup with finger , your finger sticks. But don’t make it too thick that it crystallizes .

2. Make batter with the ingredients mentioned for batter . Don’t add extra 1 or 2 tbl spoon of water unless needed . The batter should be medium thick . It must not be thin or else you won’t have the perfect shape . And if you make it too thick , it won’t pour into the oil through the strainer or spoon . It should be just like the cake batter .

3. When the oil is ready to fry , hold the strainer just 2 inches above the hot oil . If you hold it above this height you won’t get the perfect round mihidaanas . Hold it as near as possible to the oil . Now pour a little amount of batter onto the strainer with a spoon and from the back of the spoon press a little . You will see small balls r dropping in to the oil . It should fall with intervals , then the perfect round shape will come . But if it falls like a line , you won’t have the shape . So little amount of batter one at a time . Must not be thin and press the batter with spoon once at a time gently . Don’t press it too hard , then too much will be poured in the oil ruining the shape . always put little batter on the spoon or strainer otherwise you won’t get the shape . After the first gentle press with the spoon , don’t press any more , rather give small strokes with the spoon on the strainer without touching the batter over it . 🙂

4. Fry the mihidaanas or small bundis until little crispy . Not too much , but yet crispy . remove them from the oil with another spoon . When all the batter is exhausted , all the mihidaanas are fried , take little amount from it to crush into powder . Not too much a little amount . But yet , it is optional .Put the remaining mihidaanas in the hot sugar syrup until they get soft . Remember the syrup should be boiling hot . when you put the boondis , the stove must be turned off , but after adding the boondi turn on the stove and cook the boondis at very low flame for at least 5/6 minutes until the boondis absorbed almost all the syrup and turned very soft .

5. Now while they are hot transfer half of them into the food processor and blend . Just because your sugar syrup is thick, they won’t be blended easily so add little hot , boiling water to blend well . Don’t put too much at a time . Just enough that is needed . If you mistakenly add too much water or it gets too thin , then add the remaining mihidanas with it and blend . that will balance the consistency . Now transfer it to a bowl . Mix with the crushed boondis/ mihidaanas . You may add little maowa too .

6. Grease your hand with oil/ghee and start making laddus . Everyone says to make laddus while they are hot , but what I do , I put the mixture into the deep fridge chamber for 5/ 10 minutes and then I find it easier to shape . When I start doing it while they are hot , they tend to be flat . But after keeping them in the fridge for a while , it is easier to make perfect round shape .. 😀

Notes:

1. The consistency of batter is very important . If it is too thin , that when you put them on the spoon or strainer and it starts falling off , you will never get the perfect round shape . Or if it is too thick that no matter how hard you press the batter with the spoon or hand , it does not fall easily through the spoon or strainer , you won’t get the perfect shape too . It should be medium thick . But not thin at all .

2. Always place the strainer or the spoon as near to the oil as possible for the perfect shape .

3. Don’t put too much batter on the strainer or spoon at a time . That will ruin the shape . Small quantity at a time . Press the batter with spoon once at a time gently . Don’t press it too hard , then too much will be poured in the oil ruining the shape . always put little batter on the spoon or strainer otherwise you won’t get the shape . After the first gentle press with the spoon , don’t press any more , rather give small strokes with the spoon on the strainer without touching the batter over it . 🙂

4. Try to clean the spoon after every batch. That would help smooth flowing.