No oil, no ghee, no sugar, still these desi laddus are very tasty, strong demand in winter, price very low

Although many food items start being sold in the market during the winter season, but in Chhatarpur there is one item sold in the winter season which is eaten the most.

It is called lye laddu. Although it is available in the market throughout the year, but its demand is highest during winter. It is being made in the district in the traditional way for years. This traditional laddu is made from lye and jaggery. It gives a feeling of warmth in winter.

To make this laddu, neither oil, ghee nor sugar is required. Still this laddu is called the famous laddu of the district.

Mahesh Gupta, who has been making Lai Laddu for the last 10 years, says that this Laddu is eaten everywhere, but in Chhatarpur it is made in a different way. People here eat it a lot too.

Mahesh explains that to make lye laddus, jaggery is first heated. Then its syrup is prepared. After this, laddus are tied by adding crunchy lye to the ends of jaggery. The ratio for tying laddus is equal i.e. 1 kg of jaggery is mixed with 1 kg of lye to make laddus.

According to Mahesh, lye laddus are eaten here for 12 months. But, there is a lot of demand in winter. Because, people here eat jaggery in winter and this is laddu made of jaggery only. Besides, it is light in weight and cheap.

Consuming this lye-jaggery laddu does not cause iron deficiency in the body. Besides, it also contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus etc. Eating jaggery is healthy to maintain the level of hemoglobin in the body.

Talking about lye laddu, it is most commonly eaten in the rural areas of the district. Everyone likes it, from small children to the elderly. Talking about its price, 250 grams is available for Rs 20. Talking about the price of one kg, it is available for Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg.