Rava Ladoo

  My mom is fond of preparing homemade mithai. Recently she made Rava Ladoo. I never try my hands on making sweets because they involve lot of cooking time and have to be made meticulously.  This time thought of giving a try and help mom in cooking it.

The look and taste of Rava Ladoo proved me wrong. Cooking traditional sweets is also enjoyable as well as challenging for new learners like me. But as we say it will be FUN!!! Witness this as you make it...

Preparation time: 5 minutes to assemble the ingredients

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Makes: 12-15 ladoo

What goes in it:

Semolina (Rava)- 2 cups

Dried Cocunut powder- 1 cup (Nariyal Khamman, readily available in any kirana store)

Sugar- 1 ¼ cup

Ghee- 3 tbl spn

Raisins- 10

Cardamon powder- ½ tbl spn (I didn’t use it)

How did Mom & Me (under momie’s guidance) make it:

Heat ghee in a pan on a low flame. After it is warm enough (don’t boil it) add rava to it. Cook for about 5-7 minutes by stirring continuously till it becomes very little golden brown.

As you heat rava with ghee

After 5-7 minutes of stirring ghee and rava

Now add coconut powder to it and stir well so that both rava and coconut powder is mixed properly.

Take the pan off the stove and let it cool in a plate.

Put raisins and cardamom powder to the mixture and mix well.

While it is left to cool, I prepared sugar syrup (chaasni, as fondly called in Gujarati). Boil sugar with little water in the pan. Keep on stirring it and check for the sugar syrup for less than one string consistency.

Now how do you check the consistency of sugar syrup??? This might be the question in your mind. My mom taught me this. Take a little of boiling syrup in spoon. Now gently pinch the syrup and spread apart between your first finger and thumb. It will be hot but you got to do it to check the perfect strand.

After about 3-4 minutes sugar syrup will trail less than one string strand. Check and take the pan off the stove and put the mixture in it.

Keep on stirring it slowly so no lumps are formed for 3-4 minutes. Mix them all well.

When warm enough to handle, form small balls/ ladoo. Now it is an art to form small balls. I learnt it from my granny after making and remaking of many ladoo’s. And could make 3 ladoo’s with real hard work...

Foodies’ Note: Our mixture became dry/powdery. So mom reheated the mixture on low flame and added few drops of milk. Stir it properly. Take it off the stove and shape into balls.

As I saw white soft sugary ladoo’s, the only thought dominated my mind was “Like hard work pays off!!! Time and meticulous cooking also pays off!!!” J

Do share your experience with me...