Laddu

Cinnamon pudding

• 100 GRAM FLOUR
• 100 GRAM POWDERED SUGAR
• 50 GRAM COCONUT
• 50 GRAM RAISINS
• 50 GRAM ALMONDS, chopped
• 4 TBSP GHEE OR OIL

• 175 GRAM SELF RAISING FLOUR
• 200 GRAM SUGAR
• 1 CUP CREAM
• 100 GRAM SOFT BUTTER
• 3 EGGS
• 2 TBSP CACAO
• 1 TSP CINNAMON

Heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan and stir fry the flour and coconut until golden brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, heat thoroughly and add a little water until the mixture becomes sticky and form it into laddus (medium size balls, see picture).

Laddus are prepared for festivals like weddings but mostly for the festival Diwali, which is celebrated in October or November. Diwali is a Hindu harvest festival, but is now celebrated as a national Indian festival and even all over the world.

This is a recipe from Pakistan. 5 October is Teachers' Day in Pakistan, and accidentally also World Teachers' Day. Many countries celebrate this day after UNESCO had officially recognized the importance of teachers.  Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and worldwide celebration.

Put flour, 100 gram sugar, butter, eggs, cacao and cinnamon together and beat this mixture for 5 minutes, using an electrical mixer. Pour the batter in a form. Heat this for 18 minutes in the microwave at 300 Watt or au bain marie for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. In the meantime, heat the remaining sugar in a frying pan until it becomes golden brown, add the cream and heat, whole stirring, until all caramel has dissolved. Serve the pudding with the caramel sauce.