Laaye Pitta Undo (Popped Rice Ladoo)

Laaye Pitta Undo is a very tasty, jaggery based ladoo. I got this recipe from my mother. In Konkani, laaye pitto means coarse powder of popped rice and undo means ladoo. This ladoo is commonly prepared as a naivedya for Lord Krishna. Hence as a kid, I would eagerly wait for Krishna Janmashtami. I would sit by the side of my mother, watching her make ladoos. This is one of my favorite ladoo. (I got the coarse powder of popped rice from India).

Ingredients:

• Peanut/ Ground nut- 1/4 cup
• Laaye Pitto/Popped rice (Coarse powder variety)- 2 cups
• Dark Jaggery/ Antu Bella- 3/4 cup
• Black Sesame seeds- 2 tsp
• Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tsp+ extra for greasing 

Procedure:

The coarse powder of Popped rice looks like this.

Take a kadai and start frying the peanuts on a medium flame.

Once it turns slight brown, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.

Now remove the peel and break open the peanuts using your hands. The peanuts are ready to use.

In the same way dry roast the sesame seeds in the same pan until it starts to splutter. Then transfer it to a plate.

Next step is to melt the jaggery. The jaggery I used looked like this (This jaggery is very soft and is specially used to make ladoos, burfi, chikkis. This jaggery gives good binding and has a distinct taste).

Now start heating the jaggery on a medium flame along with 4-5 Tbsp of water. The jaggery begins to melt and starts to boil.

Continue heating till the end point. To know the end point, add 1-2 drops of melted jaggery in a small bowl containing water. The jaggery should form a firm drop and it should turn little hard.
Once this consistency is reached, add the roasted split peanuts, sesame seeds, cardamom powder, ghee and mix quickly.

Then add the coarse powder of popped rice and give a good mix until everything comes together. Allow the mixture to cool (until you can handle the heat). Remember that the mixture hardens as it cools. So it has to be formed into ladoos as soon as possible.

Once it is ready to handle, take a small amount of the ladoo mixture in your greased hands and make a ladoo. Repeat the same for the rest of the mixture. I made a total of 14 ladoos.
Laaye Pitta Undo is ready!!

Store them in an air tight container. It stays good for more than a week.