Jagerbomb laddoo, please

By Nidhi Lodaya Jane Borges Prutha Bhosle Sucheta Chakraborty Aastha Atray Banan and Anju MaskeriFull of colour festivities and delicious food Diwali 2021 is right around the corner The best part about this festival is the grand variety of mithai and traditional savoury eats that are served after pooja Of all the snacks rich in flavour and taste the Sunday midday team feels the good olrsquo laddoos have been reimagined like never before This year thanks to the boom in delivery kitchens during the lockdown you have a diverse range of laddoos to choose from Here are a few of the bestAlcoholInfusedItrsquos getting Coyote Ugly up in hereMotherdaughter duo Arshya and Subha Aggarwal started Nihira three years ago They realised that mithai was a category which had remained stagnant despite there being so many varieties in India Consumers they felt had started drifting away from desi sweets and gravitating towards Western desserts and thus they decided to make mithai fashionable again In order to change the look and taste of traditional Indian sweets they came up with liquor laddoos after experimenting for around six months The Aggarwals have a family business of manufacturing malt for alcohol thus they believe in ldquorespecting their alcohol more than anythingrdquo Nihira is a Sanskrit word which means newly found treasure it is also another name for Goddess Laxmi They make a variety of liquor laddoos in flavours such as champagne whiskey red wine gin and cranberry sambuca and grape and jaumlgerbomb a strong liquor with a slight anise taste The liquor laddoos are not centrefilled but infused and so the taste of alcohol is quite prominent Expect to first be engulfed by a warm sweetness of the mithai followed by the alcohol aftertaste much like taking a sip of liquor Customers have a choice of opting for an assortment of liquor laddoos as per their preference in the boxes of 4 6 10 16 24 and 36 They deliver pan IndiaPrice Rs 800 onwardsTo Order 7042849182To keep you warmSattu pe sattaIn the north sattu a proteinrich flour made from powdered Bengal gram is popularly consumed in form of parathas during the chilly winters But the folks behind Laddoo Story a small home business by medical student Hrithika Sharma her mother Ritu and sister Charushree decided to make laddoos out of sattu ldquoApart from keeping you warm they are rich in protein fibre calcium iron manganese and magnesium and do wonders for digestion and detoxificationrdquo The Sharmas make this superfood snack using roasted chana sattu and cashews almonds and raisinsPrice Rs 600 per kgTo Order WhatsApp 7404742272Chicken and egg laddooChef Anuradha Joshi Medhora is the founder of Charoli a delivery kitchen that is working to revive the culinary traditions of Malwa royals Her two eclectic laddoo offerings are made with chicken and egg While the murg laddoos have chicken mawa and sugar in them the egg variant is an interesting mix of boiled eggs jaggery mawa and ghee These are typiCally made in the winter months as they are rich in protein and carbs and provide necessary nutrition ldquoCulturally it was always believed in the warrior communities that meat is essential for strength and heat in the body young boys had to go through rigorous training which would be a part of their everyday routine and these laddoos were hence considered a perfect snack due to the rich ingredients that went into itChef Anuradha JoshiMedhora says the murg laddoos are ideal to keep you satiated on long journeys PicsSameer MarkandeUsing protein as dessert is something that has been done for a long period of time observes Joshi The laddoo is not messy easy to carry and store and loved just as much by kids who are looking for something sweet she adds Unlike halwa it has less ghee and therefore can be packed for long rides and was ideal for royals to carry during ldquoshikaarrdquo that would go on for days The texture for both laddoos is akin to soft gooey mawa laddoo and is coated with crushed dry fruits which gives it a crunchy texture All in all a rich creamy flavour with the goodness of almonds pistachios kismis raisins kesar saffron and kaju cashew nutPrice Rs 410 for six pieces for both varieties of laddoosTo Order 9833549949Nuts and RosesNuttilicious gulkand ballsPicsPradeep DhivarWhen Jegna J Dedhiaa owner of health food shop La Pistacherie came in touch with Komal Tejas Nagda a dietician who runs Eat SmartRestart around two years ago she knew they had to collaborate together Every festive season Nagda comes up with a nutty laddoo recipe which is nutritious rich in fibre packed with antioxidants and satisfies sweet cravings as well This time around she used ingredients from Dedhiaarsquos store to prepare oats makhana cranberry laddoos and pista pan gulkand ballsldquoSince I am a dietician by profession I am always looking to curate healthy recipesrdquo says Nagda The oats makhana cranberry laddoo is made using jaggery and also has walnuts pistachios almonds and dates ldquoThe pista pan gulkand ball is a Diwali treat and the gulkand gives it a very refreshing flavourrdquo There is no added sugar in these treats Dedhiaa says that all dry fruits and nuts used are premium products ensuring that therersquos zero compromise in qualityPrice Rs 350400 for 200 gmTo Order 9920796154A handcrafted rose and date treatEach Diwali Megha Phull of Zealo Foods a handcrafted artisanal store experiments with guiltfree treats This time around Phull has curated a special assorted laddoo box with delicious yet healthy rose and date and fig and pistachio flavours ldquoThe laddoos have absolutely zero processed sugar and are completely nutbasedrdquo says Phull who founded Zealo more than a decade ago The base for both the laddoo varieties is dates and anjeer giving them their chewy texture and natural sweetness They also use organic ghee to prepare the rose and date laddoo which comes coated with dry rose petals For those who prefer oil and gheefree treats you could try the fig and pistachio laddoo which is made using poppy seeds and nuts like cashew and almonds Price 12 pieces for Rs 950 and 16 pieces for Rs 1250To Order 9820821188SavouryThis is masala magicAuthentic Food Stories available in Mumbai and Bengaluru is a platform connecting home chefs to provide authentic traditional regional cuisines that are difficult to find in restaurants As part of their quest to create interesting and unique dishes one of their home chefs has made a savoury laddoomdashnamkeen aata dryfruits laddoomdashfor this festive season Made like the regular aata laddoo which is a big favourite this namkeen laddoo has salt and some masalas instead of sugar With increased consciousness about health and people keen on avoiding sugar this version of the atte ka laddoo with added dried fruits and nuts is an excellent option for those watching their waistPrice Rs 250 for 250 gmCall 9920391344Methi ho jayeSakshi Rajesh Kushimkarrsquos Sakshirsquos Kitchen started in April 2021 She makes a savoury methi laddoo by including an ayurvedic formula to it The laddoos help in joint pain relief and are good snack for women during pregnancy It also makes for a healthy breakfast item for people of all ages The laddoo is made with methi aata rice aata almond powder dried dates powder jaggery dried fruits poppy seeds dried coconut gond or dink cashew nuts ghee cardamom and nutmeg powders black and white pepper clove dried ginger powder cinnamon mace and pepper root They also make a savoury moong laddoo with green moong aata dried coconut gond jaggery dried fruits ghee and cardamom and nutmeg powdersPrice Methi laddoo at Rs 900 per kg and moong laddoo at Rs 750 per kgTo Order 9967574678Yummy in the tummyNandan and Bhakti Patkar at the kitchen located in Kandivli PicsSatej ShindeNandan Patkar along with two partners started Ladoo Raja to ensure healthy eating is made easy for Mumbaikars ldquoNutritious and wellbalanced food along with physical activity is the foundation of good healthrdquo the team feelsAnd so with a combined experience of 40 years in the food industry the trio launched the venture to offer a variety of laddoos and namkeen snacks to customers They deliver laddoos made of dink moong nachani methi shengdana halim kulith udad dal tagda and even multigrain from their Kandivli warehouse We suggest you add roasted diet chivda to your cart as well It has fewer calories and serves as a healthier alternative to regular snacksPrice Rs 120 onwards for a pack of 180 gmTo Order 9820187806Where therersquos laddoo there is hopeVile Parlebased Rajkumari Somani is a proud mommy to two kids Cooking and hosting dinners for friends and family is therapeutic for her When she started The Ladoo Co to offer authentic Indian sweets to Mumbaikars little did she know her business would be appreciated by all This Diwali she has prepared a unique menu of healthy and delicious laddoos made out of nachni coconut and even moong dal In addition to these she will also deliver sheera shrikhand and rabdi to your homePrice Rs 690 per kg onwards for laddoosTo Order 9833624727GuiltFree EatsRoz khao ragiFormer journalist Komal Kumbhar started making laddoos in the lockdown to beat cabin fever and tide over bleak times From the lot itrsquos the ragi laddoos that received an overwhelming response Made using finger millets these laddoos also contain coarse sugar and nutsWhat ragi laddoos lack in appearance they make up with nutritionmdashitrsquos rich in iron and calcium Once Called the poor manrsquos grain doctors now advise people to include ragi as part of their mealPrice Rs 30 per pieceTo Order 9769743681Sasta ani mastaFaralBox was launched in the lockdown last year when the founding team of young members realised families were apart The aim was to unite them with an honesttoheart FaralBox It became an instant hit and in the first year of their operations they ended up shipping 750 kg of Diwali faraal across the globe But itrsquos their laddoos that are our favourite The varieties include shengdana rajgeera nachani saptadhanya dink moog saptadhanya methi and besan The best bit They are healthy and affordablePrice Rs 90 onwards for sixpiecesTo Order 9137291711Oats and makhana are festive tooMethi dryfruit laddooBhavna Savla used to make healthy snacks for her family till 10 years ago when everyone asked her to share her healthy laddoos with the world So today she makes versions that include methi oats and makhana and whole wheat and jaggery This writer had a chance to bite into her oats laddoo during Ganapati celebrations and it was just the right amount of sweet and didnrsquot feel heavy on the stomach As her son Amit says ldquoOf course you can order healthy threats for Diwali But soon after winter will be here and you will need some warmthmdashand these laddoos are perfect for that without piling on the caloriesrdquoPrice Oats and makhana for Rs 1200 per kg jaggery and whole wheat for Rs 640 per kgTo Order 9664007328 8208992351Laddoo dough is artistrsquos clayJayalakshmi Naik 52 was a fulltime painter till before the pandemic struck Two years ago as the world changed Naik went from being an artist who played with colour to an artist who sculpts laddoo dough instead Her specialty includes the traditional besan and motichoormdashbut also rose coconut laddoos which have coconut base rose syrup and white chocolate all melted in Along with laddoos you can also order chocolate and paan truffles and cakes from the home chef who is based in Goregaon East Just let her know 48 hours in advance and she can make them to your tastemdashgluten free and sugarfree as well Price Rs 380 for a box of 12To Order WhatsApp 08433771923 Last order for Diwali will be accepted till November 2Rich and RavenousIs it a cake Is it a laddooChef Sugandha Saxena started her brand Laddooh in April Despite being trained in European culinary techniques something urged her to make laddoos Her multigrain red velvet laddoos continue to remain a bestseller The team has made sure that these laddoos donrsquot exactly taste like red velvet cake but still have a flavour of it with an Indian touch The dark reddishmaroon laddoos with gold dust on top not only compliment the Indian colour palate but also the taste preference Authentic laddoos canrsquot be made without desi ghee and so to balance the richness Saxena adds a variety of healthy flour to the multigrain laddoo including oats quinoa and ragi Saxena stays away from using chocolate because she believes it takes away the essence of a laddoo While all her flavours stick to the Indian palate she makes sure that the fusion is compatible An example of this besides the red velvet is the haldi nimbu laddoo which is vegan glutenfree and contains coconut sugar They deliver pan India and only make them on preorderPrice Rs 2100 for a box of 16 Rs 850 for a box of sixTo Order laddoohinMehmaanworthy mithaiManwaar Mithai which was initially known as Festive was started during the lockdown by Chef Neetu Solanki after she lost her job She runs her small business with her mother out of their home kitchen in Mazgaon The name Manwaar means lsquomehmaan nawaazirsquo in MarwariSolanki learnt making mithai and laddoos from her mother but her culinary knowledge as a professional chef is what helped her make additions and come up with different recipes and flavoursShe makes four types of laddoos namely the classic besan laddoo gond besan laddoo with dry fruits Nutella besan laddoo which has hazelnut and Nutella at the centre The decadent peanut caramel laddoos are one of her popular onesSolanki tops up this laddoo with a peanut chikki and the centre has a caramel sauce mixed with peanut butter and caramelised white chocolate She also offers customisation based on budget the occasion and taste You can opt for an assorted box or stick to a particular flavourPrice Rs 425 for 500 gmTo Order 9819327744