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First of all, heat a kadai on a medium flame.
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Add 1 cup of rava to that pan and let it be dry-roasted.
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Stir the rava so that it doesn't burn up or become over-roasted.
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As the semolina roasts, a delicious nutty smell will tell you that it's cooking, and it'll start changing to a light golden colour.
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This may take around 8-10 minutes. Semolina must be well roasted to get the perfect texture to laddus.
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So transfer this semolina to a plate and let it cool completely.
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To the same kadai, now add 1/2 cup grated coconut.
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Fresh coconut is ideal for this recipe, but desiccated coconut can also be used.
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Roast the coconut on low flame for about 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly.
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Moisture content is to be removed and lightly toasted without letting it turn too brown.
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Ladoos acquire that characteristic richness and depth of flavour because of the combination of coconut and semolina.
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Once done, take the coconut out of the pan and mix with the cooled, roasted rava.
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Let's add some crunchy texture to these ladoos using cashew nuts. In the same pan, add 1/2 cup of ghee and heat over medium flame.
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Ghee is very important for flavouring and also is a binder that holds the ladoo together.
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Add 10-12 cashew nuts when the ghee is hot and fry till they turn golden brown.
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Continue stirring the cashews so they do not burn. When the cashews are fried, add the whole ghee-cashew mixture to the rava coconut mixture.
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The now-flavoured roasted cashew nut flavour in ghee will give an extravagant taste to laddus.
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Now, add ¾ cup of powdered sugar to the rava-coconut mixture. Using powdered sugar ensures a very smooth consistency for these laddus.
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Then add 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder over the mixture.
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Cardamom gives the most appetizing fragrance with a mild spiciness that always complements the sweetness just perfectly.
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Finally, add a pinch of salt to balance the flavours. Mix everything well so the sugar and spices are evenly distributed.
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Moisture will help bring the mixture together so it can hold its shape.
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Sprinkle 1/4 cup of milk over the mixture, a little at a time, and mix it well.
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Milk is handy for binding and making the mixture more amendable to shape into laddus.
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Be careful not to add too much milk at one time; it needs to be moist but not soggy.
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If the mixture seems too dry, you may add a little more milk, but make sure you are not over-liquidating so that you're not able to shape the laddoo easily.
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Now shape small portions of this mixture in your hand into round laddus.
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The warmth of your hands will help in binding the laddus proper.
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Keep shaping until all the mixture is used up. Should the mixture get too dry at any point, you can sprinkle a little more milk on it to help it bind.
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Once you are done with shaping all laddus, allow them to set for at least an hour at room temperature.
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This resting time helps in the rava laddus setting and lets flavours infuse within each other. Once set, these can be devoured.