Biotin laddoo – a protein-rich ball of goodness

As a woman in her thirties, Shabna J, a graphic designer working at a multinational company, did not bother about losing a few strands of hair. Initially, she assumed that hair thinning with age is not a big deal.

“Slowly, my hair got thinner and thinner over the past few years. At this point, I decided to consult an expert,” says Shabna. According to her dermatologist, she had nutrient deficiencies due to the ketogenic diet she was following for the past few months, and she was advised to add more biotin-rich foods to her daily diet.

More about biotin

Biotin, or vitamin B7, is an essential vitamin, and is one of the nutrients responsible for breaking down carbohydrates and fats from food and converting them into energy. Furthermore, it contributes to the formation of keratin, a protein responsible for formation of nails, skin and hair.

Read more about vitamin B here

“Although the human body cannot produce biotin, there are some gut bacteria that can produce it. Biotin is found in several foods like chicken liver, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables and fruits like sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and cabbage,” says Sonia Velarsan, a registered dietitian from Bengaluru.

Saumya Zubair, a nutrition enthusiast and wellness influencer from Canada who has been on a healthy-eating journey, says that the benefits of biotin go beyond skin and hair and includes maintaining a healthy metabolism. It is easier to consume natural biotin powder made from powdered nuts and seeds, adds Zubair. Nuts and seeds are a good source of vitamins even though the amount of biotin in them varies. Almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts and pecans are rich in biotin, says Velarsan.

The daily recommended biotin intake is 30mcg for adults and 35mcg for pregnant women.

Biotin ladoos are full of proteins from nuts and seeds and healthy fat from coconut. For better skin and hair health, nutritionists recommend taking this daily for a month. This recipe is rich in protein, folate, beta carotene and potassium.

Cooking time- 20 min

Recipe servings- 20 ladoos

Difficulty level- easy

Ingredients:

• Almond- 1 cup
• Peanut- 1 cup
• Grated coconut- 1 cup
• Walnut- ½ cup
• Sesame seed- ½ cup
• Sunflower seed- ½ cup
• Pumpkin seed-3 tsp
• Flaxseed- 3 tsp
• Jaggery – 1 cup

Method:

Each of these nuts and seeds must be roasted separately.

1. Dry roast almonds, peanuts, grated coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds
2. Grind all the roasted ingredients into a fine powder with grated jaggery. Add powdered cardamom for fragrance.
3. Roll the powdered ingredients into a ball or ladoo with lightly greased hands

Each biotin ladoo contains

*Nutritional value calculated by Happiest Health resident nutritionist Shohini Basu

Note: Follow this recipe to make 20 ladoos and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.