FOODIE /LADDOO SPECIAL ............Warming up with laddoos

Warming up with laddoos

Dinkache laadu in Maharashtra or gond ke laddoo in north India may be ‘pregnant women food’ for some and the epitome of uncool for others, but it is the ideal winter sweet, says Roshni Nair

Did you know those are for pregnant women?” school friends would balk, underlining the second-to-last word with a hiss. Judging by most reactions, one’s fondness for dinkache laadu was the epitome of uncool. But the Maharashtrian sweet – gond ke laddoo in north India and antinunde in Karnataka – never failed to hit the sweet spot for its texture, which surpassed those of its popular cousins. Each bite offered the gooeyness of dink (edible gum) and jaggery syrup, crunchy kopra (roasted, grated coconut) and a bevy of dry fruits – almonds, cashews, raisins, dried figs and kharik (dried dates) – tempered with ghee and a hint of spice (elaichi and nutmeg powder). Although labelled ‘pregnant woman food’ due to its galactagogue or breast milk-facilitating properties, dinkache laadu is a great winter go-to, outlines food historian Pushpesh Pant. Dink, he says, is cited in Ayurvedic pharmacopeia texts as a satvik, heat-generating tonic and galactagogue. “The satvik connection is because gond, a resin, is kosher and can be had on fasting days,” says Pant. “But the laddoos themselves weren’t mentioned in the texts. They’re just vehicles to deliver recommended ingredients in palatable ways.” Other sources like Bhaishajya Ratnavali also point to edible gum’s cleansing properties, says Ayurvedic dietician Dr Kaustubh Gadre. “Dink aids food passage through the gut. Everything in the laddoo is beneficial: dry fruits offer energy and fibre. Coconut and ghee, lubrication for the bones. And jaggery generates heat.” The specialists Bhakarwadis may be Chitale Bandhu’s claim to fame, but the dinkache laadu in Pune’s landmark 76-year-old sweet shop isn’t far behind either. It has had loyalists throughout generations, and much of this has to do with Mangala Chitale, who oversaw the recipe herself. The laadu here is available year-round. But sales peak between November-March, shares Mangala’s grandson Indraneel Chitale, third-generation partner at Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale. “Dinkache laadu is typically south Maharashtrian, which explains the coconut,” he shares. “It was also a meal-on-the-go since it provided enough energy for three-four hours – way before energy bars and drinks came into the picture.” Apart from the coconut, this delicacy differs from gond laddoo in terms of preparation. While many in the north soak gond overnight in ghee, in Maharashtra, it is roasted before being coarsely ground. This gives the sweet a texture Chitale describes as ‘khushkhushi’ – a balance between soft and crispy. Until a few years ago, the Chitales had employees who specialised in making these laadus, because the jaggery syrup to be used “must be of the perfect consistency”. But due to increased demand, a decision was made to automate the process, using a machine imported from Germany for the purpose. Winter sweets, out in the cold Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale may be selling many dinkache laadus, but in the north, there are few takers for gond ke laddoo, says Pant. “There aren’t enough customers, even in winters. I’ve had gond ki barfi only from a halwai called Bhagatji, who has small shops in Dehradun and Delhi and makes these as ‘specialty items’.” Sweets like these, he adds, are rustic and considered ‘lowbrow’ by many. Citing increasingly-rare winter treats like the habshi (milk), kali gajar, khus khus (poppy seed) and jauzi (wheat sprout) halwas, panjiri laddoo and lasan (garlic) kheer, he adds: “We’ve become too Anglicised and Frenchified. We now want rasgullas descontructed and gulab jamuns chocolate-topped.” Goregaon homemaker Vijaya Pawar, who, like many Maharashtrian women, prefers her dinkache laadus homemade, too bemoans the difficulty in getting people to consume such sweets. Readying to make this year’s batch, she feels people now are too paranoid about fats to even consider their merits. Referring to her own household, she adds: “Now I make more methi ke laddoo than dink laadu. Kamar ke liye achcha hai na, isliye.” roshni.nair@dnaindia.net