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–+ yields 8 small laddus
square image of thinai laddu placed on a wooden plate with lamp lit on the side
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5 from 2 votes

Thinai Laddu | Foxtail Millet and Honey Balls | Thinai Urundai

Thinai Laddu - A guilt-free, healthy, and delicious laddu recipe with foxtail millet and honey. A four-ingredient healthy laddu recipe.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Soaking and drying time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: South Indian, TamilNadu
Keyword: foxtail millet and honey balls, thinai laddu
Servings: 8 yields 8 small laddus
Calories: 72kcal
Author: Srividhya G

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl and fry pan

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1 tbsp=15ml; 1tsp=5ml;

  • ½ cup foxtail millet / thinai
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp ghee melted
  • water to rinse and soak the millet

Instructions

Prepare thinai maavu | foxtail millet flour

  • Wash the millet until the water becomes clear, and you can see the millet through the water. And soak it in water for 10 to 12 minutes.
    soaking foxtail millet
  • After 10 minutes of soaking, drain the water thoroughly, and spread the millet on the kitchen towel. Let it dry under the shade for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not dry it in the sun.
    drying foxtail millet on a kitchen towel
  • Now dry roast this millet in a pan or kadai over medium-low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes until a pleasant aroma comes. Do not let it brown.
    roasting the millet
  • Let it cool, and then transfer it to a mixer jar. Now add the ground cardamom as well and grind it into a fine powder. (Please see notes if you want to use green cardamom)
    adding cooled down millets to the mixer
  • Transfer the ground flour to a plate. The foxtail millet flour or the thinai maavu is ready.
    ground flour

Prepare the thinai laddu.

  • Add 1 tbsp of honey to the prepared flour and mix well.
    adding honey to millet flour
  • Then add 1 tbsp of ghee and mix well.
    adding ghee to the mixture
  • Now the flour mix will have sufficient moisture. Now take a small amount of the prepared mix and shape it into a small round ball. Press the laddu tightly so that it stays intact. (If the balls are not remaining intact, add one to two tsps of ghee and mix. Then shape them into small balls) Similarly, make laddus with the remaining flour.
    shaping and making laddu
  • Store in an air-tight container. It should stay well for about ten days when refrigerated.
    square image of thinai laddu placed on a wooden plate with lamp lit on the side

Notes

  • I used my homemade cardamom powder in this recipe. Instead, you can also use whole green cardamoms. While roasting the foxtail millet, you can add the green cardamoms and roast along with the millet and grind them all together.
  • I haven't tried this recipe by skipping ghee. Ghee adds a nice flavor, but you can also try with maple syrup and vegan butter for the vegan option.
  • Adjust the honey as per your sweet preference.
  • Make sure you rinse the millet until the water is clear. And roast the millet over medium-low flame, and do not roast for more than 10 minutes. When you get the aroma of millets and when they turn crisp, turn the heat off. Few millets might turn light brown, but that's okay. 
  • I did not add any nuts or dry fruits. You can add both for enhanced flavors.
  • Soaking millets is optional.

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Iron: 1mg