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{{Short description|Spherical sweet from the Indian subcontinent}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Redirect|Ladoo|the Malayalam film|Ladoo (film)}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Laddu
| image = Laddu Sweet.JPG
| caption =
| region = [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Caribbean]]
| main_ingredient = Flour, sugar, [[ghee]], dry fruits
| variations = [[Gram flour]], [[Semolina|rava]]
| calories =
| other =
| type = Sweet
}}

'''Laddu''' or '''laddoo''' is a spherical sweet from the [[Indian subcontinent]] made of various ingredients and [[sugar syrup]] or [[jaggery]]. It has been described as "perhaps the most universal and ancient of [[Sweets from the Indian subcontinent|Indian sweets]]."<ref name = "bloom">{{cite book|date=2023|title=The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzysEAAAQBAJ&pg=PAPT269|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|pages=269–270|isbn=978-1-350-12865-1 |access-date=2023-03-14|archive-date=2023-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314103601/https://books.google.com/books?id=AzysEAAAQBAJ&pg=PAPT270|url-status=live}}</ref>

Laddus are often served during celebrations and religious festivals, especially those associated with the [[Hindu]] deity [[Ganesha]].<ref name = "bloom"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Sweet-shops-make-hay-in-Diwali-shine/2013/10/31/article1864851.ece |title=Sweet shops make hay in Diwali shine |work=The New Indian Express |date=31 October 2013 |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=21 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421022428/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Sweet-shops-make-hay-in-Diwali-shine/2013/10/31/article1864851.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/as-good-as-home/article5288375.ece |title=As good as home |author=Sangeetha Devi Dundoo |work=The Hindu |date=31 October 2013 |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=23 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123212432/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/as-good-as-home/article5288375.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History and etymology==
The word ''laddu'' is derived from a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "small ball."<ref>{{cite book|last=Roufs|first=Timothy G.|date=2014|title=
Sweet Treats Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture|url={{Google books|hhXHEAAAQBAJ|page=PA171|plainurl=yes}}|publisher=ABC-CLIO|pages=171}}</ref>

In the 3rd-4th century [[Sanskrit]] medical text ''[[Sushruta Samhita]]'', ladduka are described as small balls of jaggery, [[peanut|peanuts]], and [[sesame seeds]] coated with [[honey]]. These balls were used as an [[antiseptic]] and to [[oral administration|deliver]] medication.<ref name = "bloom"/>

However, the first documented mention of laddu as a sweet is in the 11th-century [[Western India|Western Indian]] cookbook [[Indian cookbooks|''Lokopakara'']]. It gives a recipe for making laddus with [[sevai|shavige]] (rice vermicelli), ghee, and sugar syrup, which were formed into balls and fried in ghee. The 15th-century Indian cookbook ''[[Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi]]'' gives several recipes for laddus made with [[white flour]], [[dried fruits]], [[rosewater]], [[camphor]], and [[musk]].<ref name = "bloom"/>

==Varieties==

===Besan laddu===
[[File:Besan Laddoo Sweets India cropped.jpg|thumb|200px|Besan (chickpea flour) laddus]]

Besan laddu is the most common variety. To prepare it, [[besan]] (chickpea flour) is fried in hot [[ghee]] (clarified butter). Sugar and [[cardamom]] powder are then mixed in. The mixture is formed into balls and allowed to cool and solidify.<ref name = "bloom"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Collingham |first1=Lizzie |author-link=Lizzie Collingham |title=Curry : a tale of cooks and conquerors |date=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0195320015 |page=105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2rRCwAAQBAJ&pg=Pg105 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314103616/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2rRCwAAQBAJ&pg=Pg105 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Motichoor laddu===
[[File:Motichoor Ki Laadu Khajrana Indore.jpg|thumb|200px|Motichoor laddus]]
Motichoor ("crushed pearls" in [[Hindi]])<ref>{{cite web | url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/motichoor-ladoo-a-sweet-dip-in-the-history-of-indias-favourite-festive-treat-1729993 | title=Motichoor Ladoo (Laddu): A Sweet Dip in the History of India's Favourite Festive Treat | access-date=2022-08-15 | archive-date=2022-09-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902165037/https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/motichoor-ladoo-a-sweet-dip-in-the-history-of-indias-favourite-festive-treat-1729993 | url-status=live }}</ref> laddu is made from [[boondi]], tiny fried balls of chickpea batter soaked in sugar syrup.<ref name = "bloom"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Krondl |first1=Michael |title=Sweet invention a history of dessert |date=2011 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |location=Chicago, Ill. |isbn=9781569769522 |page=17 |edition=1st |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dt0RErSFvE8C&pg=PP17 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314103602/https://books.google.com/books?id=Dt0RErSFvE8C&pg=PP17 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Thaggu ke laddu===

Thaggu ke ("Cheat's") laddu is made from [[khoa]] (condensed milk), [[semolina]], and [[white sugar]] and is a specialty of [[Kanpur]], India. It was invented by Mattha Pandey, a follower of [[Mahatma Gandhi]]. Pandey heard Gandhi refer to white sugar, which was popularized in India by the British, as "white poison" and disease-causing. Since his laddu was made with white sugar, he named it accordingly.<ref name = "bloom"/>

===Shahi laddu===
Shahi (royal) laddu is made from the sweets [[peda]] and [[barfi]], which are ground into a paste, mixed with cardamom, dried fruits, and nuts, and formed into balls. It is decorated with [[vark]] (edible foil).<ref name = "bloom"/>

=== Coconut laddu ===
[[File:Coconut Laddoo 5.jpg|thumb|Coconut laddus]]

[[Coconut]] laddu originated in the medieval [[Chola Empire]], when it was packed for travelers and warriors for good luck on their expeditions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/food-story-the-journey-of-ladoo-from-a-medicine-to-the-much-loved-indian-sweet/#sthash.6mHIen3o.dpuf |title=Food Story: The journey of ladoo from a medicine to the much-loved Indian sweet |work=The New Indian Express |date=16 October 2004 |author=Madhulika Dash |access-date=26 September 2015 |archive-date=27 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927072954/http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/food-story-the-journey-of-ladoo-from-a-medicine-to-the-much-loved-indian-sweet/#sthash.6mHIen3o.dpuf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Gond ke laddu===
[[File:Gondh ke ladoo.jpg|thumb|Gond ke laddus]]
Gond ke laddu is made from roasted and powdered [[Gum arabic|gond]] (gum arabic), ghee, jaggery, and sometimes ''battisa'' or ''keoka'' powder. It is commonly served in North India as a [[postpartum]] food.<ref name = "bloom2">{{cite book|date=2023|title=The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3jusEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA322|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|pages=322|isbn=978-1-350-12865-1}}</ref>

===Temple laddus===
{{See also|Tirupati Laddu}}
Some [[Hindu temples]] have their own laddu versions, which are offered to the deities and then served to devotees as [[prasada]] (sanctified food). The besan laddu served in the [[Venkateswara Temple]] in [[Tirupati]], India, has been called "the most famous temple laddu." The [[Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatgaon|Maa Tarini Temple]] in [[Ghatgaon]], India serves laddus made from coconut and [[khoa]]. The special laddu at the [[Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur|Subramaniya Swamy Temple]] in [[Tiruchendur]], India is made from [[foxtail millet]].<ref name = "bloom"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Collingham |first1=Lizzie |title=Curry : a tale of cooks and conquerors |date=2007 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0195320015 |page=105 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2rRCwAAQBAJ&pg=Pg105 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314103616/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2rRCwAAQBAJ&pg=Pg105 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Others===
[[File:Atta Laddoos.jpg|thumb|Wheat flour laddus]]
[[File:Til Ko Laddu.jpg|thumb|Til (sesame seed) laddus]]
[[File:RiceFlourLaddu Homemdae Mumbai.jpg|thumb|Rice flour laddus]]
Every region of India has its own version of laddu. In [[Rajasthan]], laddus are made from [[wheat flour]], in [[Maharashtra]] from [[sesame seeds]], in [[Kerala]] from [[rice flour]], and in [[Andhra Pradesh]] from [[rice flakes]]. Optional ingredients include [[grated coconut]], roasted chickpeas, [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]], and [[raisins]].<ref name = "bloom"/>

==World record==
[[File:Largest Laddu (individual).jpg|thumb|200px|An advertisement depicting the world record holder]]

According to ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', the world's largest laddu to date was created by PVVS Mallikharjuna Rao in [[Tapeswaram]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], India in 2016. It weighed 29,465 kilograms (64,959 pounds) and was made using a traditional boondi recipe with ghee, oil, cashews, sugar, almonds, cardamom, and water.<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-laddu-(individual)}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' episode "Rakhi Road", [[Elmo]] is shown eating laddus.<ref>{{cite news|title=Guide to Deepavali|url=https://www.timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/things-to-do/guide-to-deepavali|newspaper=Time Out|date=October 24, 2019|quote= ‘Sesame Street’ even paid tribute with a Rakhi Road episode which shows Elmo chomping away at laddu. }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Tirupati laddu]]
* [[Sweets from the Indian subcontinent]]
* [[List of Indian sweets and desserts]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{Pakistani dishes}}
{{Burmese cuisine}}
{{Bruneian cuisine}}
{{Indonesian cuisine}}
{{Malaysian cuisine}}
{{Kue}}
{{Singaporean cuisine}}

[[Category:Bangladeshi desserts]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
[[Category:Bihari cuisine]]
[[Category:Bruneian snack foods]]
[[Category:Burmese desserts and snacks]]
[[Category:Chickpea dishes]]
[[Category:Kue]]
[[Category:Indian pastries]]
[[Category:Malay cuisine]]
[[Category:Malaysian snack foods]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Pakistani desserts]]
[[Category:Singaporean cuisine]]
[[Category:Thai desserts and snacks]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]
[[Category:Indo-Caribbean cuisine]]

Laddu - Revision history

CleanupBot at 18:29, 21 March 2026