Ajwain laddu

Ajwain laddu belongs to the family of North Indian atta sweets, made by dry-roasting whole-wheat flour and binding it with ghee and jaggery. In many homes a batch is rolled when a baby arrives and set aside for the new mother in the weeks after delivery; through the rest of the year the same laddus serve as an everyday sweet. The ajwain seeds give the laddu its name and its sharp, pungent note against the deep sweetness of jaggery.

This version roasts the atta dry on the stove instead of frying it in ghee, so the laddus keep well in the jar. The ghee goes in warm at the end to bind, and jaggery powder replaces sugar for a molasses-like depth; dry ginger (saunth) powder is the traditional companion to the ajwain. Pressed warm, the mix makes neat rounds that hold their shape; bitten into, they are crumbly at first and then melt into the ghee.

Leave the saunth out if you do not have it. The mix must be shaped while it is still warm enough to press; once cooled it turns firm and crumbly in the jar. Roll each portion into a 35 g laddu and set it on the plate to cool, then pack the batch in an airtight jar where it keeps for about a month at room temperature.