Thinai Maavu Laddu – தினை மாவு லட்டு. Recipe for laddu made with thinai (foxtail millet). Healthy laddu made with foxtail millet, peanuts and jaggery.
This is a very traditional laddu made during pongal time in Kongunad. Roasted foxtail millet flour is mixed with melted jaggery and made into laddus. Some households add peanuts while some dont. Its a very very simple recipe. But I messed this recipe up royally for our first pongal after marriage at my in laws place. Nacha (my mil’s cook then) had just returned after grinding the foxtail millet flour. My mother in law had already gotten the jaggery melted and was ready for making laddus as the plan was to take the laddus to the temple that evening. I told my mother in law that I wanted to help. She eagerly gave me the melted jaggery and asked me to keep mixing while she will come in a minute after serving the evening coffee to my father in law. For this recipe, the melted jaggery needs to be added little by little so that we know to stop adding after the laddu consistency is reached. The great “me” added all of the jaggery at once and started mixing everything so enthusiastically that within seconds, i ended up with this millet goop. Nacha who just entered the kitchen just froze. She asked “enna ma panni vechirukeenga – what have you done?” My mil too was just in time to watch my goop trophy!!! She was calm. She did not say a word. She and Nacha went and prepared more roasted millet flour and got the goop converted into laddus! We did make it to the temple that evening. Now after a lot of pongal’s later, I can make decent thinai laddus.
Wash and soak the millet in water for five minutes. Drain the water and spread the millet on a cloth lined plate for it to dry.
Spread the millet evenly and let it dry for an hour.
The dried millet is now ready for making laddu.
Dry roast the millet in a heavy pan on a low flame for 6-7 minutes until the foxtail millet is very fragrant and the millets turn brown here and there.
Set aside on a plate to cool.
In the same pan, dry roast peanuts. Roast until the outer skin is dark here and there. Remove from the pan and let it slightly cool. Remove the husk and set aside.
Heat the jaggery in a pan along with two tablespoon of water. Let the jaggery melt. Strain the melted jaggery to get rid of the sand and impurities. Set aside.
Take a heavy duty mixie and grind the roasted foxtail millet along with whole cardamom to a fine powder. Its important that we grind it to a fine powder. Else it will have a sandy mouth feel that is not very desirable. So take your time and pulse several times till the millet is ground to a very fine powder. Once the millet is ground, add in the roasted peanuts and pulse couple of times. The peanuts should get ground.
Empty the mixture on a plate. Add in half of the melted jaggery.
A note on adding jaggery – Please add melted jaggery in instalments. Do not add all the melted jaggery at once. There might be some melted jaggery that is left over.
Keep adding melted jaggery little by little until the millet mixture becomes one cohesive ball. Stop adding the jaggery at this stage when the millet mixture all comes together.
Make small laddus and set aside on a plate.
Store the laddus in an airtight container and use it within 3-4 days. Store the laddus at room temperature.
- 1 cup foxtail millet (thinai arisi)
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup jaggery
- 2 tablespoon water
- 3 cardamom
- Wash and soak the millet in water for five minutes. Drain the water and spread the millet on a cloth lined plate for it to dry.
- Dry roast the millet in a heavy pan on a low flame for 6-7 minutes until the millets are very fragrant and the millets turn brown here and there. Set aside on a plate to cool.
- In the same pan, dry roast peanuts. Roast until the outer skin is dark here and there. Remove from the pan and let it slightly cool. Remove the husk and set aside.
- Heat the jaggery in a pan along with two tablespoon of water. Let the jaggery melt. Strain the melted jaggery to get rid of the sand and impurities. Set aside.
- Take a heavy duty mixie and grind the roasted foxtail millet along with whole cardamom to a fine powder. Add in the peanuts and pulse couple of times so the peanuts are powdered too!
- Empty the mixture on a plate. Add in half of the melted jaggery. Keep adding melted jaggery little by little until the millet mixture becomes one cohesive ball. Stop adding the jaggery at this stage when the millet mixture all comes together.
- Make small laddus and set aside on a plate.
- Store the laddus in an airtight container and use it within 3-4 days. Store the laddus at room temperature.
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