Preeti’s Khajoor ke laddu – Date Balls

Preeti, food ambassador made a healthier version of this Indian dessert, called Khajoor ke laddu for the LEAP Diwali carnival this week.  They are eaten during many different celebrations, such as weddings, following the birth of a child or as an offering to gods. They are traditionally made with gram flour, lots of sugar, ghee and dried fruits. However in this recipe they are made raw, using just dates, seeds and coconut without any oil.

Makes about 20 balls

Ingredients

1 cup of dates

1 and a half tablespoons of pumpkin seeds

1 and a half tablespoons of sunflower seeds

3 tablespoons of dessicated coconut

Method

1. Dry roast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a frying pan for approximately minutes, until they start to colour a little.
2. Whizz the seeds in a blender or food processor.
3. If the dates have stones, remove these and whizz them in the food processor.
4. Mix the  chopped dates and chopped seeds together by hand.
5. Roll into balls.
6. Put desiccated coconut onto a flat plate and roll the balls in the coconut to cover them.