Whisk the gram flour, water, baking soda, and yellow food color together into a smooth, lump-free batter of medium-thin, pouring consistency.

Let the batter rest so any lumps fully dissolve and the baking soda begins to activate, making the boondi light and airy when fried.

Heat the ghee in a kadai over medium heat until it is hot enough to fry the batter into small, crisp pearls without browning too fast.

Pour the batter through a perforated ladle held over the hot ghee, letting small pearls drop in, and fry each batch until just set and pale golden, not crisp-brown.

Lift the fried boondi out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a plate to remove excess ghee.

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan with the crushed cardamom and saffron, and simmer until the sugar dissolves into a sticky one-string syrup.

Add the drained boondi into the warm syrup along with the chopped cashews and raisins, and mix gently until every pearl is well coated.

Let the syrup-soaked boondi rest until it cools enough to handle but is still warm and pliable, allowing the syrup to be absorbed evenly.

Grease your palms lightly with ghee and shape small portions of the mixture firmly into round, compact ladoos while still warm.

Place the shaped ladoos on a plate and let them cool completely to room temperature so they firm up and hold their shape.