Chana dal ke laddu is a delicious recipe, and this healthy vegan version is made with natural ingredients like chana dal, walnuts and dates. This recipe has no ghee, sugar free and makes a very nutritious snack for children as well.
Chana dal [also called kadalai paruppu or senega pappu] is a fantastic protein and fiber filled lentil that has superfood qualities. Walnuts are a good source of Omega-3. Dates provide sweetness, while also adding natural fiber to the recipe.
Step by step Pics
Soak 1/2 cup chana dal in water overnight.
Drain water and run it in a food processor until it reaches a crumbly stage.
Take this crushed chana dal and add it to idli or dokla plates and steam for 15 minutes. After it has cooled down, crumble the chana dal into powder with your hands or in the food processor.
Meanwhile, roast Walnuts in a 350F (180C) oven for 8 minutes. Well-roasted walnuts are delicious and a world of flavor apart from raw walnuts.
Let the walnuts cool for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of walnuts to food processor and process them to a powder.
Add 1 cup (about 20) dates one by one through the feed tube. After all the dates are added, open the food processor and add 1 cup of steamed, powdered chana dal, a pinch of salt, some agave nectar/honey, and elaichi powder.
Once they are well blended, using a cookie scoop or your hands, shaped them into laddus.
Recipe
A very healthy, vegan laddu made with chana dal, walnuts and dates that is full of protein and healthy fats and fiber.
- 1/2 cup Chana Dal
- 1 cup Walnuts
- 1 cup Dates (about 20)
- 2 tsp Honey or Agave Nectar
- 1/4 tsp Elaichi Powder
- Salt (a pinch)
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Soak 1/2 cup chana dal in water overnight. Drain the water from the dal and run it in a food processor until it reaches a crumbly stage.
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Steam the chana dal in idli or dokla plates for 15 minutes. After it has cooled down, crumble the chana dal into powder with your hands or in a food processor. Set it aside in a bowl.
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Roast Walnuts in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes. Let the walnuts cool for a few minutes. To a clean, dry food processor, add 1 cup of the roasted walnuts and process them to a powder.
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Add 1 cup (about 20) dates one by one through the feed tube while running the food processor. After all the dates are added, open the food processor and add 1 cup of steamed, powdered chana dal, a pinch of salt, agave nectar or honey, and elaichi. Pulse again.
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Once they are well blended, using a cookie scoop or your hands, shaped them into laddus.
Conclusion
Often in Indian desserts, we go for grain based sweets, which is nothing but carb + refined carb. I prefer protein based sweets like chane ki dal ka laddoo which creates less of a sugar spike. Chana dal is also one of the dals with the highest fiber content, which makes it such a good candidate for a healthy dessert.
I hope you try this healthy chana dal ladoo. Please share your comments down below. As always, I love hearing from you!!
Looking for other low carb dessert ideas? Try these:
Semiya payasam made without vermicelli
Coconut burfi sweetened with jaggery
Good one! i am not a laddu making fan but i love to eat
Wow. Seems an excellent idea. I would definately try it out Thanks for this opportunity.
Very happy to hear it!!
Can I make this without the walnuts?
Sure, why not? .. but the natural fats gives a superior texture and taste. It might be too sticky with just dates.
Alternatively, you could try other good fats – almond butter, coconut oil, or maybe good ol’ Desi ghee if you are picky about taste… whatever floats your boat 😁!!
any way to steam dal with out the idli set up
Hi vw, You can use dokla plates or even cheesecloths on a dish with a pasta strainer.
How long can we keep them out in summer months ??
Hi Nidhs, I think this will spoil quickly since they have moisture from the steam. Please store them in the refrigerator.
Ingredient list says 1/2 cup chana dal but instructions say 1 cup. Assuming its 1cup as its 20 dates!
Hi Deepa, Thanks for highlighting this. In the recipe, I only used 1/2 cup chana dal which after soaking and steaming expands in volume. Post steaming, take out only 1 cup of powdered + steamed chana dal and use for the recipe.
It was not very clear. I will change the wording of the recipe to make this more clear.
Thanks
Swetha
I made these today, and they are delicious! I had 1/3 c extra ground, steamed, chana dal, so I just increased everything else by one third, and made more of them! I steamed the ground chana dal in some silicone egg cups in the instant pot – something that sits on top of a basket, with 7 cups in it. I never used it for eggs, but it comes in handy for things like this.
Yay… That’s wonderful to hear. 👏👏 Thanks Dave!! And clever improvisation on using the egg cups to steam.
How long can these stay at room temperature in an air tight container?
Hi Kalindi, While the time (1 day – few days) will depend on the weather where you live, these laddus have moisture in them unlike the store bought ones. Sweets sold at stores only use water for the sugar syrup… every other ingredient is usually dry.
It is best to store these in the refrigerator. They remain fresh for a week or slightly more.