Happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas, family! Tonight is the darkest night of the year, observing the victory of knowledge over ignorance ~ something to consider amidst the horrors taking place in Gaza. Diwali is celebrated by offering sweets and clay diyas or oil lamps to honor Lakshmi Ma, the goddess of prosperity, as well as the homecoming of Lord Rama, the warrior King of Ayodhya, after his 14 year exile from his kingdom. While Hindus celebrate Diwali, the Sikh community celebrates Bandi Chhor Divas. Translated to “Day of Liberation,” Bandi Chhor Divas is the holiday honoring Guru Hargobind Ji’s release from Gwalior Fort - after securing the liberation of 52 Hindu Kings with him. (That's allyship, y'all.) With this lesson in mind, we urge our community to celebrate the holidays by supporting a ceasefire in Palestine by calling your representatives or donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
Food has always been my family's way of coping with grief, so these last few weeks my mom and I have been cooking nostalgic holiday sweets, reminiscing the times she and my aunties crowded the kitchen to watch my grandmother work her magic over the hot stove. As a child, one of my least favorite sweets or mithai were besan ladoos- a melt in your mouth confection made with chickpea flour and tons of ghee. But as I grow older, I'm learning to love them. Their sweetness lingers with melancholy memories of those who've passed on. The mithai are more than a sweet now, they are the stories of my grandmother, her mother, their resistance and perseverance.
Besan is the Indian word for ‘chickpea’ or ‘gram flour.’ You can find this at your local South Asian supermarket or online. For best results, opt for coarse besan.
Ghee is clarified butter. Follow my recipe on how to make yours from scratch or purchase at your local grocery store. This recipe can be made with regular ghee or cannabis infused ghee.
Cardamom is a spice used in many South Asian desserts. Cardamom is warm and peppery with uplifting, pine and citrus notes. Our favorite is from Diaspora Co, a Desi woman owned company sourcing fair-trade spices directly from South Asia.
Powdered sugar is important for this recipe because it allows the ladoo to melt in your mouth like silk. If you don't have powdered sugar, blend some refined sugar in your blender until it's powdered.
Milk Powder is optional, but we add this *secret* ingredient for a sweet, creamy finish. Find this in the baking isle at your local supermarket. In Fiji we only use the finest Rewa Full Cream Milk Powder.
May light and liberation shine upon all oppressed people, across the world. From our family to yours ~ Happy Diwali and Bandhi Chhor Divas!
You will need:
2 cups of coarse chickpea flour (Besan), sifted
1/2-3/4 cup bhang infused ghee (depending on preferred strength)
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup full-fat milk powder
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Heat your pan over medium low heat. Add the ghee and let melt down.
Add the Besan (chickpea flour) and roast the flour until it’s fragrant and golden brown. Stir continuously and keep an eye on it! You want the mixture to be evenly toasted. The mixture will clump at first, but after 7-10 minutes it will begin to resemble moist sand.
Continue to stir and roast the mixture for about 15 more minutes on low heat until it thickens into a paste. Remove from heat, add the cardamom and stir.
Pour besan mixture into a ceramic or stainless steel bowl and allow to cool up to 30 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and mix into a smooth dough.
Scoop each mixture by the heaping tablespoon, then roll into balls with your palms. Each batch will make approximately 20 ladoos.
Optional: Press a cashew, pistachio or other nut into the center of each ladoo and decorate with 24 carat gold leaf.
Store in an airtight container and enjoy!