Dates and Peanut Truffles – Kajoor ane Shing Na Ladoo

Hello all!! It is that time of the year once again when we celebrate the Goddess of Power and her various manifestations. These are 9 nights of fun and revelry in our home state of Gujarat. Although now the celebrations are ones to which I  can  no longer relate,  but most folks do have lot of fun sweating the nights out to Gabra…

I have decided to share with you easy and quick to prepare Prasad recipes. These are some of the dishes that I have been making for a long time and are quite simple to rustle up,  requiring things that are easily available in your  pantry or can be conveniently accessed. They are also low on use of sugar and fat.

Today I leave you with  one of my  all time  favourite, the Dates and Peanut ladoo or truffles as I choose to call them for a wider appeal 🙂 It takes 15-20 minutes of your time to bring this recipe together.

So try making it during this festive season….

Wish you all very Shubh Navratras…

Date and Peanut Truffles

Makes – 19 truffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups soft dates
• 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoon  raw peanuts
• 2 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter/unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon green cardamon powder
• a pinch of nutmeg powder
• a generous pinch of powdered or caster sugar

Method

1. Deseed and wash the dates thoroughly.
2. Finley chop or crush  the dates in a mixer or food processor. This may take a couple of minutes more as you’ll be required to scrape the sides of mixer bowls during the grinding.
3. On a medium to low heat roast the peanuts and de-skin them.
4. Discard the peanut skins.
5. Grind the roasted peanuts to a fine powder.
6. Take care not to run the mixer too long or else the peanuts will release oil.  We do not want that to happen.
7. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of ground peanuts for rolling the truffles, add the pinch of caster sugar and keep it aside in a small plate.
8. In a heavy bottom skillet or pan heat 2 tablespoons of ghee.
9. Keep the flame to medium to low.
10. Add the crushed dates and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
11. Now add the ground peanuts and cook further for another 3-4 minute.
12. Turn off the flame. Add the ground cardamon and nutmeat powders and mix well.
13. Once the mixture has cooled down a bit but is still warm enough to touch divide in 19 equal parts and roll in to even truffles/ladoos.
14. Roll the truffles in the peanut powder-sugar mix.
15. If you want you can place the truffles in tiny cup-cake cases or just place them in a plate.
16. Rolling the truffles in Peanut powder is entirely up to you . If preferred you may completely opt out of this step. The Date and Peanut Truffles will taste equally good.
17. The Date and Peanut Truffles are ready to be enjoyed as a quick bite or as an offering or however you may desire…..