These are my Mum’s Bajri na Vada made the authentic Gujarati way. They’re the perfect combination of spicy, sweet and tangy – or as I like to call it – the Gujarati golden ratio! The perfect snack for Sheetla Satam or served with tea, chutney or yogurt.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published 9th August 2012. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.
If I had to describe these, I’d call them pearl millet and fresh fenugreek fritters. Using bajri no lot is what makes these unique from makai na vada .
The dough is left to ferment overnight and then shaped into vada. As the vada deep fry, they form a pocket of air that is characteristic for this recipe. You know you’ve perfected the technique when the vada are perfectly hollow inside. It’s so satisfying to watch them fry!
The result – slightly sweet and spicy vada that are crispy on the outside and soft inside. Super duper addictive!
They are interchangeably called vada or dhebra. Usually though, dhebra, like my bajra methi dhebra , are made as flat-breads which are pan-fried rather than deep-fried. They are also very different to methi na thepla which again are pan-fried flatbreads!
My go-to for enjoying these vada is with a piping hot cup of masala chai . When my Mum makes these for sheetla satam, she makes other fried food and sweets that don’t spoil easily. Just imagine a large preparation of Gujarati style dahi vada , bhel puri , handvo , dudhi thepla with sweets like sukhdi , churma ladoo with sugar or kuler ladoo .
On Kali Chaudash (which comes before Diwali), these vada are also made. Honestly, we’ll find any reason! There is a custom in Gujarat on this day that you make these vada, along with rice kheer and puri , and place one on each end of a crossroad near your house.
We’ve never done this – there’s never any vada left!!!
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Bajri Flour – also known as millet flour and it’s usually grey in colour.
Makai flour – also known as maize flour. Both fine or coarse varieties will work.
Chapati atta – I have used normal roti flour but you can also use coarse wheat flour (bhakhri no jado lot).
Semolina – optional (if you use jado lot don’t add semolina).
Methi – fresh fenugreek leaves. Do not substitute with kasuri methi as these are not the same ingredient and will give you the wrong taste.
Green chilli ginger – crushed.
Yogurt – plain yogurt which can be either low fat or full fat but it has to be quite sour.
Turmeric powder
Sugar – you may add grated jaggery too – don’t skip totally but you may reduce the amount to suit your taste. If you add jaggery, first mix and dissolve in the yogurt. If you have added more jaggery or sugar than the recipe suggests, the vada will turn out darker, as the sugar caramelises.
Oil – needed for deep frying. I get the best results with vegetable oil or sunflower oil. Heavy oils like olive oil don’t allow the vada to puff up as well.
Tips & Shaping Technique
- Make sure chili and ginger is finely chopped or pureed to prevent holes forming.
- Fermenting the dough overnight softens the dough (no more chewy vada, yay!) and leads to soft and fluffy vada. Do not skip this step and allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 8 hours.
- When frying the vada, allow them to rise or puff up themselves. It takes around 10/20 seconds but you will see them rise. Then flip them around and fry on the other side.
- Sometimes, you may have holes in the vada which prevent them puffing. This could be due to the sesame seeds puncturing the vada and letting the air escape.
- Put only one or two vada in the oil at once to give them enough room.
- Keep the oil temperature consistently on medium-high. If they brown too fast, lower the heat.
Shaping options
- Take a round dough ball and pat down using your fingers into rounds that are 1/2 cm thick.
- Place the dough ball on an even surface with a paper towel or parchment on top. Press down with a flat bottomed bowl or glass until you have achieved an even 1/2 cm thickness.
- Do not shape the vada too thick or too thin. If kept too thick they won’t cook inside, if too thin they won’t puff up.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Bajri Na vada
Equipment
- Kadai
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet flour bajri no lot
- ¾ cup maize flour makai no lot
- ¾ cup wholewheat flour roti flour
- 3 tablespoon semolina sooji
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds plus more for rolling
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon ginger and green chillies crushed/paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 5 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 5 tablespoon fenugreek leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
Deep Frying
- oil
Instructions
- In a big bowl or plate place all the flours and other ingredients along with 1 tablespoon of oil. Combine well and knead a stiff dough with warm water.
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth and setaside to ferment for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Next day, knead the dough once again for a couple of minutes. The dough should be a little softer.
- Divide the dough into equal size portions.
- Roll them into the sesame seeds.
- Lay a clean kitchen paper, plastic sheet or damp cotton cloth on a worktop.
- Place one ball on the worktop and press down using a flat bottom bowl. Make a disk that is not too thick or thin.
- Heat oil on medium heat, then carefully slip one vada and let it fry. Don’t touch with the spoon until the vada puffs by itself. Once it does, you can turn.
- Once both sides are evenly fried, remove from the heat with a slotted spoon.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Bajri Na vada
Equipment
- Kadai
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet flour bajri no lot
- ¾ cup maize flour makai no lot
- ¾ cup wholewheat flour roti flour
- 3 tablespoon semolina sooji
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds plus more for rolling
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon ginger and green chillies crushed/paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 5 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 5 tablespoon fenugreek leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
Deep Frying
- oil
Instructions
- In a big bowl or plate place all the flours and other ingredients along with 1 tablespoon of oil. Combine well and knead a stiff dough with warm water.
- Cover the dough with a clean cloth and setaside to ferment for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Next day, knead the dough once again for a couple of minutes. The dough should be a little softer.
- Divide the dough into equal size portions.
- Roll them into the sesame seeds.
- Lay a clean kitchen paper, plastic sheet or damp cotton cloth on a worktop.
- Place one ball on the worktop and press down using a flat bottom bowl. Make a disk that is not too thick or thin.
- Heat oil on medium heat, then carefully slip one vada and let it fry. Don’t touch with the spoon until the vada puffs by itself. Once it does, you can turn.
- Once both sides are evenly fried, remove from the heat with a slotted spoon.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Make these glorious Churma na Ladwa with sugar for Ganesh Chaturthi and other festivities. Perfect Gujarati churma ladoo are rich with ghee, have a slightly coarse mouth feel and are delicately spiced.
You’re not going to be able to stop at one!
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published August 2020. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.
Ask me which dish I crave all year round and I’ll tell you its these churma ladoo.
At home, we only make these once a year on Ganesh Chaturthi. My thali is usually made up of jamanvar bateta nu shaak , vaal , Gujarati daal , poori and basmati rice . Of course, not forgetting these churma ladoo and everything is all eaten together at the same time.
When it comes to Indian and Hindu festivities, I love hearing stories from my Mum and how her family celebrated. We cook a lot of the family meals together, so she’s always telling me where and how she picked up the dish we’re cooking. These churma na ladwa are a replica of my Grandma’s recipe.
There are some pointers for authentic churma na ladwa:
- Made with coarse wheat flour ( ghau no jado lot ) for a rustic, grainy texture
- Sweetened with sugar or jaggery
- Flavoured with cardamom and nutmeg for warmth and fragrance
- Bound with plenty of ghee , giving richness and melt-in-mouth quality
- Typically shaped into ladoo (balls) rather than left as loose churma
For this recipe I’ve used sugar, but you’ll also find gor churma ladoo with jaggery – a version that’s just as traditional, with a deeper sweetness compared to the lighter taste of sugar.
Now, you can also make a speedier version of churma ladoo that avoids deep frying but by far, these are more superior!
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Chapati flour – Traditionally, churma ladoo are made with bhakhri flour (also called ghau no jado lot ), a coarse wheat flour you’ll easily find in India. Here in the UK, it’s almost impossible to source, so I make my own version by mixing whole wheat flour with a little fine or medium semolina – it gives the ladoo that same rustic texture and bite
Semolina – you only need to use semolina if you can’t get hold of coarse wheat flour. The fine or medium varieties work.
Besan – aka gram flour. You need the fine variety.
Ghee – homemade desi ghee made from unsalted butter gives the best flavour but shopbought or even vegetable ghee works too. Aim for melted ghee rather than solid – it’ll be much easier to work with.
Oil – flavourless oil (I use sunflower oil) for frying the muthiya.
Sugar – You specifically need caster sugar, which you can buy or like I do, grind down regular granulated sugar into a fine powder. In India, it’s known as ‘BOORA/BURA KHAND’ or ‘TAGAR’.
Cardamom powder &and nutmeg powder – most Indian sweets are incomplete with cardamom powder. Nutmeg powder (jaiphal) is also an essential for authentic ladwa. I like to grate a whole nutmeg rather than buy powder just because I get better flavour.
White poppy seeds – also known as khus khus, and are a must in traditional Gujarati ladwa.
Optional:
Sugar crystals (sakar) – they give a really fun crunch and pop when added to the mixture.
Tips for success
These are tips we’ve picked up making this recipe over the years.
- Make sure you make a stiff dough and do not over knead.
- The muthiya should be about lemon sized for adequate cooking as they fry.
- While frying, poke the muthiya with a knife to allow the hot oil to cook the inside.
- Let the deep-fried muthiya cool completely before grinding.
- You can test how well your ladoo are bound. Test by dropping the first ladoo you roll gently in a plate. If it doesn’t break it means the ladoo are perfect. If they break, you need more ghee.
- Do not store these ladoos in the refrigerator, they will harden.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Churma Ladoo
Equipment
- Big plate/bowl
- Kadai
- Food processor
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cup wholewheat flour chapati atta
- ¾ cup semolina
- ¼ cup gram flour
- 1 ¼ cup ghee
- 1 ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 3 tablespoon white poppy seeds
- oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- In a wide plate combine the whole wheat flour, semolina and besan.
- Add 1/4 cup ghee and mix well.
- Knead a stiff dough, adding a little water at a time.
- Divide the dough into equal parts and make equal sized fist cakes.
- Heat oil on medium heat in a kadai or pan.
- Carefully add the muthiya. Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry gently until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Place in a wide plate and break into small pieces so they cool quickly.
- Transfer into a food processor and grind till you get a coarse powder. You may also need to sieve if the pieces are still large or has lumps.
- Add powdered sugar, ghee, cardamom and nutmeg.
- Mix and rub the mixture well with your hands.
- Take a small amount of ladoo mixture and make a ball. Press down firmly to bind the mixture.
- Roll all the ladoo in poppy seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
