A ladoo that isn’t sweet but savory, A Chaat / street food item : Ram ladoo a.k.a Gulgule –we loved the way it was presented with slivers of radish and some spicy tangy chutneys on top.
Ram Ladoo is a delicious street food made in North India. It is a vegan, Gluten Free and a protein rich snack too.
Origin of Ram Ladoo
Ram ladoo also called Gulgule is a popular street food in India, particularly in North India. It is believed to have originated in the state of Delhi. The name “Ram ladoo” is (presumably) derived from the Hindu god Lord Rama, and “ladoo” refers to small, round, deep-fried snacks.This delightful snack is a popular street food item, especially in places like Delhi and other parts of North India, where it’s commonly found in street food markets and on roadside stalls. Over time, it has gained popularity in other regions of India as well and is enjoyed by people of all ages.
If you are a fan of chaat / street food like me, check out the following items and enjoy making them at home :
Ram Ladoo – Vegan and GF snack
Cuisine : Indian, course : snack / street food
Protein source : Moong dal & Channa Dal (Lentils)
Prep time – 2 hours soaking time + 10 mins grinding time
Cooking / frying time : 15 mins
Makes : 4 servings (approx 6-7 ladoos per serving)
What you need to make Ram Ladoo
- Moong dal / split green gram – 1 cup
- Channa dal – 1/2 cup
- Salt – to taste
- Baking soda / cooking soda – 1/2 tsp
- Oil – to fry (yes, will make it in a paniyaram pan the next time)
- Grated ginger – 1/2 tsp
- Chopped green chillies – 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric – a dash
- Asafoetida / hing – a generous pinch
Topping:
- Peeled and grated radish / daikon
- Sweet Imli Chutney
- Roasted Jeera / cumin powder
- Coriander and Chilli Green Chaat Chutney
- Lemon juice- a dash
- Coriander leaves – few
PIN FOR LATER
How to make Ram Ladoo
- Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours. Drain and grind with all ingredients except soda, Oil and the toppings to a coarse paste.
- Beat the batter well, add the soda and mix again to a fluffy batter.
- Rest for 5 – 10 mins in the fridge, meanwhile heat the oil to fry.
- Beat the batter one last time, and with a wet spoon / wet hands, make small roundels and fry in the hot oil on medium flame till they turn golden brown.
- Drain on absorbent towels.
To assemble and serve Ram Ladoo:
- Plate 4-5 gulgule/pieces per plate. Top with the chutneys, cumin powder, a dash of lemon and grated radish.
- Top with coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Ram Ladoo | Gulgule | Vegan and GF Street Food from India
Equipment
- Deep Fry Pan Can use the Paniyaram / Abelskiver pan instead of deep frying
- Wet Blender
- Pots and Pans
Ingredients
- 1 cup split green gram moong dal
- 1/2 cup Bengal Gram Channa dal
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda Eno / cooking soda
- 1 cup Oil to fry, can use a paniyaram/ Abelskiver pan to avoid the deep fry
- 1/2 tsp ginger grated
- 1/2 TBSP green chillies chopped fine
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida hing, skip for GF
Topping:
- 2 TBSP radish Daikon, Peeled and grated
- 3 TBSP Sweet Tamarind Chutney Imli Chutney
- 2 tsp Roasted Jeera / cumin powder
- 2 TBSP Coriander and Chilli Green Chaat Chutney
- 3 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 TBSP Coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash and soak the lentils for 2 hours. Drain and grind with all ingredients except soda, Oil and the toppings to a coarse paste.
- Beat the batter well, add the soda and mix again to a fluffy batter.
- Rest for 5 – 10 mins in the fridge, meanwhile heat the oil to fry.
- Beat the batter one last time, and with a wet spoon / wet hands, make small roundels and fry in the hot oil on medium flame till they turn golden brown.
- Drain on absorbent towels.
To assemble and serve Ram Ladoo:
- Plate 4-5 gulgule/pieces per plate.
- Top with the chutneys, cumin powder, a dash of lemon and grated radish.
- Top with coriander leaves and serve immediately.
The gulgulas are a all time favourite with me , unfortunately the radish season deprives me from making these often . You are tempting me Kalyani , not fair . Trust me I am drooling over the ladoos .
I am so familiar with the term ram Ladoo but never thought it is a savory version.. Thanks for en lighting me :)Such a healthy dish i gotta try it out soon..
Oh that's delicious for sure, but I Didn't know it was so easy to make!! The bookmark grows yet again 🙂
You have taken me back to the Delhi meet Kalyani. Yes, they were so delicious!! Am drooling over your pic..
I still remember the taste of those delicious ram ladoo in Delhi. We had super fun tasting it. Yours looks so much like the ones we tasted. You are really tempting me now..
This is on my todo list for quite sometime now. Got to try this soon. Love the vegan option. Very nice.
These have turned out exactly the same as I remember from our Delhi trip. Looks fabulous. An awesome pick for protein rich dishes.
Ah the first time I made this was before our trip and we enjoyed it so much and the trip made my memory is better..you now tempting me to make this again Kalyani, love how well your end result has turned out!..And the fact that you are going to share snacks..:)
Tempting recipe
I just love this classic Delhi street food and your post is tempting me to make it again. Looks absolutely lip smacking!!
Omg, those ram laddoo bowl makes me drool, havent tried my hands in making at home, simply irresistible. Cant wait to try soon at home.
This has been in my to do list since long.Wanted to make this for the theme,but last minute changed my list.BTW ram ladoo looks so delicious,wish I could have this.
i knew gulgules only by name. Must be and interesting recipe with those sauces. Interesting… — Anlet Prince
Ram laddo looks very delicious. Nice protein rich snack to bite on in these rainy days.
Snack looks amazing… love the toppinh specially green chutney and mooli. Thr correct way of presenting like delhi road side.
Love this street food though never tasted it on streets. I don’t add soda and this time followed your recipe. It came out very well. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for trying this,Usha !
Delicious, I cant resist how yummy these are and very filling. in addition the kids love these too do happy food time.
absolutely seema – Filling and yummy ! what’s not to love, right 🙂
Yummmmmy, haven’t made Ram Ladoo in a long time. So tempting, love how simple but flavourful and unique this street food is.
Thanks Mayuri. Hope you make it soon and enjoy it !
Ram Ladoo, a name I have heard several times, but not tasted nor bothered to probe into it. Now that I have ran through this post, I am coaxing myself how could I have missed out on this. The images and the content of Ram Ladoo are so compelling. I am spell bound! Will now try it out at a street food eatery to understand its flavors and then prepare them at home. It’s got quite a unique topping. I am all for it! Thanks for such a lovely post.
Thank you so much, Neha. Do go for Ram Ladoo at the soonest 🙂
I love this ram ladoos, gulgule name is new to me though.. you have got me craving for these now .
come over,Priya! we can enjoy this together