Bandar Laddu: Why Machilipatnam's Thokudu Laddu Melts in the Mouth

Bandar is the old name for Machilipatnam, the port town in Krishna district, and Bandar Laddu is the sweet it is known for across Andhra. It is just as often called Thokudu Laddu, from the Telugu word for pounding, because that is exactly how it is made.

It starts the way a Boondi Laddu does: besan batter is dropped through a perforated ladle into hot ghee to make small boondi. But instead of being bound loosely with sugar syrup, the boondi is pounded with jaggery syrup and ghee until the pearls break down completely.

That pounding is the whole difference. A Boondi Laddu has visible pearls and a light, slightly juicy bite. A Thokudu Laddu is dense, smooth and almost fudge-like, and it dissolves on the tongue instead of breaking apart.

Cardamom is the usual flavouring, sometimes with cashews. The jaggery gives it a darker colour and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness than the bright yellow sugar laddus most people know.

Bandar Laddu carries a Geographical Indication tag, which recognises the Machilipatnam sweet as a regional specialty in the same way the Tirupati Laddu is recognised.

Because it is cooked in ghee and holds little moisture, Thokudu Laddu keeps well for several days at room temperature. It is a common choice for weddings, return gifts and festival boxes, and it travels better than most soft sweets.