Right from early childhood, my mom used to make peanut and date laddu which we kids used to enjoy. She had learnt it from her mom. This recipe is the modified version of my mom’s recipe.

I have replaced peanuts with walnuts, almonds, cashews nuts, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds. I also eliminated sugar completely from her recipe to make it more healthy and diabetic friendly. This is the modified version has high nutritional value compared to the original recipe without compromising with the taste. I call these energy balls because the combination of dates and nuts helps you feel full for a couple of hours and gives you a sustained boost of energy.

The energy balls are full of healthy and heart-friendly fats, protein, fiber, and 19 different vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc. These balls are a complete meal and can be eaten as morning breakfast or midday snack. Once you prepare them, you can store them for 7-8 days in an airtight container.

(makes 30 laddus/balls)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of almonds

• 1/4 cup of cashews

• 1/4 cup of pistachios

• 1/4 cup of walnuts

• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup of green raisins

• 1/4 cup of poppy seeds

• 2 cups of seedless dates

• 2 tbsp of dry ginger powder (nuts are heavy and they take time to digest. Ginger powder helps in the digestion of nuts it is important that you add this ingredient)

• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut

• 1 tablespoon cardamom powder

• 2 tablespoons cow ghee

Steps:

1. Mix all the nuts, poppy seeds and pumpkin seeds.

2. Dry roast them on medium flame in a pan while stirring for 10 minutes.

3. Remove and transfer them to a plate to cool down.

4. Add 2 Tablespoons of Cow ghee to the pan on a medium flame.

5. Add dates to the pan once the ghee melts and saute them till they become very soft.

6. Let them cool.

7. In the blender, add the roasted nuts and pumpkin seeds, and blend them into a coarse powder. (Keep this coarse so that you can chew on the nuts when you take a bite.)

8. Transfer this into the bowl.

9. Now add if the dates have cooled down, add them in the blender and blend into a fine paste.

10. Transfer this paste in the same bowl which has coarse powder of nuts.

11. Add dry ginger powder and cardamom powder to this mixer of nuts and dates.

12. Mix well.

13. Apply a little bit of ghee on your hands and roll it into small to medium-sized balls.

14. Store in an airtight container and enjoy.