My earliest memory of Aliv laddoo goes to my childhood when these laddoos were made for new mothers in the family. We children would also get to taste these tasty laddoos for breakfast.
Garden Cress Seeds or Aliv is available mostly in the winter season. It is grown largely in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These seeds strengthen the body as they are a rich source of calcium, folic acid, vitamins A and C, and amino acids. They are used to treat digestive issues, regulate menstruation and improve breast milk for new mothers.
Aliv (Garden Cress Seeds) Laddoo
Garden cress seeds: 100 gms
Coconut water: 1 cup
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Grated jaggery: 1.5 cups
Cardamom and nutmeg powder: a pinch each
Soak the Aliv seeds in coconut water for 3-4 hours. Once the seeds swell up, add grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom-nutmeg powder. Mix all ingredients and heat them in a pan till the jaggery melts and mixes well with other ingredients. While the mixture is lukewarm hot, start rolling the laddoos. Once the laddoos are rolled, garnish with dry grated coconut and dry fruit powder of your choice. Enjoy with a spoonful of ghee.
My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Join us as we showcase the recipes shared with us by the participants of a recently concluded recipe contest on winter dishes.
Vishakha Chandhere-Kale is Founder of OrjaBox in Maharashtra.