Looking at the aisles and aisles of energy bars, bites, balls, gels in all the stores I was wondering how did we thrive without them…it was because we ate mountains of ladoos, vadis, barfis, and mithais growing up. These peanut and jaggery ladoos are the simplest version of energy balls, two ingredients, no cooking, no baking. They were the perfect pop-in-your-mount burst of energy we needed during long study sessions for exams or while running around barefoot in the streets playing hide and seek or climbing trees in the abandoned bungalows. The Little Birdies love them and they disappear pretty quickly.

Peanuts and jaggery is the simplest pick-me-up snack there is and to date, I notice Aai or Baba grab a handful of roasted peanuts, a small piece of jaggery, and chew meditatively as they rifle through the newspaper in the afternoons or listen to the radio in the evenings.

I always have a jar of roasted peanuts handy in the kitchen as it is a staple ingredient of my cooking and these energy-packed bites come together literally in 10 mins. I use powdered jaggery, which is easier to work with than chunks. If you have chunks of jaggery then smash them or grate the larger pieces till you have the required amount. These ladoos should be stored in a dry container, glass or metal, and they keep well for several days. Since peanuts have a lot of oil inside them, we do not need to add any binding agent at all.

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Step by Step

1. In a blender or nut grinder add:
   • 1 cup roasted peanuts
   • 1/3 cup grated or powdered jaggery
2. Blend till you get a sticky mixture
3. Shape into small balls the size of limes.
4. Store in a metal or glass container.
5. Serve as a snack or pick-me-up snack.