Surilie Gautam makes special panjeeri laddoos made with 20 ingredients

What’s in a panjeeri laddoo? Well, if you listen to actress Surilie Gautam – health and happiness. Something that was born out of passion has now led to diversifying her profession. Juggling between her shoot schedules and kitchen, she has a super-busy festive season.

Made with 20 ingredients, much of it sourced from their farm in Himachal Pradesh, Surilie swears by the health benefits of her sweet treats.

“Anyone who knows me personally, knows pretty well that apart from acting, cooking has always been my passion. And with ongoing health concerns, especially pertaining to food, I thought what is it that I can contribute to people’s life and health,” shares Surilie.  And, thus, germinated the idea of panjeeri laddoos!

Her new venture also stemmed from personal experiences. After becoming a mother, Surilie realised the value of nutrition, especially when the body undergoes a huge transformation. When her sister, Yami Gautam Dhar, was expecting, Surilie got to thinking, “Cooking has always been my passion and for Yami, I wanted to make something delicious and nutritious to help her heal after delivery.” Getting into research mode, she studied the benefits of different traditional ingredients and from where to source them. “I came up with these panjeeri laddoos made with 20 ingredients and dollops of love, which Yami loved,” shared Surilie, as she flashed a broad smile.

Her preparation was a hit not just with her sister, but also other family members and she customised them to their needs as well as preferences. Encouraged by her family, she soon branched out taking orders from far and wide. “We have garnered phenomenal response, making it an even more special Diwali,” said Surilie, who apparently has been getting orders not just locally, Delhi or Mumbai, but also as far as Gujarat and Karnataka! “Through express delivery, we are able to send these to major metros within a day, but Bengaluru and Ahmedabad takes about two days.”

With a shelf life of a month, these are priced at Rs 2,400 per kg. Surilie is also open to customising them. You can have gluten-free version or use desi khand or shakkar if you have any preferences. “And despite being inundated by orders, I make them myself. When I get overwhelmed with large volumes, Yami or my mother pitch in.”

A show and a movie on the anvil, the Posti actress is currently enjoying the best of both worlds!