These laddus are a classic recipe for lots of different Indian celebrations. My mami (my maternal uncle’s wife) has special magical hands and there is never a laddu left behind when she makes them for our special family occasions. Mine don’t compare to hers but here’s my attempt to try and come close. Let me know if you have a special family recipe that you’d like to share or recreate. In the meantime, enjoy these!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rava/semolina/sooji
4 tbs ghee
¼ cup hot milk (plus more if needed)
Few strands of saffron
¼ cup each cashew slices & golden raisins
¾ cup freshly grated or desiccated coconut
½ cup sugar (adjust per your taste)
¾ tsp cardamom
Optional: ground almonds
METHOD
1 Place the saffron in the hot milk to allow the color to steep
2 In a saucepan, dry roast the rava on low-medium heat until it turns aromatic (about 5 min) and then let cool
3 Add roasted rava, sugar and cardamom to blending jar and blend it. Keep the rava slightly coarse
4 In the same saucepan, heat the ghee and pan fry the cashews and raisins. If using fresh coconut, cook it slightly now (less than 1 min). If using desiccated coconut, then you do not need to cook it but just add once you turn the heat off
5 Add the rava mixture to the saucepan and mix it all together
6 Add the milk mixture to the saucepan (no heat) and mix well. Add additional milk if needed to bind it all together
7 Shape the mixture into ladoos.
8 Now shape it into ladoo. Today, I rolled the laddus in ground almonds but this is optional. They will taste delicious even without the extra almond layer
9 Store the ladoos in an air tight container for up to a week, and they will last longer if refrigerated
Tags: Indian, Desserts
