Easy Rava Coconut Ladoo/ Sooji Ladoo

Easy Rava Coconut Ladoo/ Sooji Ladoo - Diwali Sweet

Ladoos is a delightful Indian sweet made on important occasions, and Indian festivals and celebrations are incomplete without delicious homemade ladoos. Ladoos are traditional ball-shaped sweets, and there are so many varieties of ladoos. Some ladoos are time-consuming, but some are easy to make with minimal ingredients. Rava ladoo is a South Indian favorite anyone can make easily at home. It is sweet and crunchy with roasted rava/semolina and freshly grated coconut. Do you love coconut? I am addicted to coconut, big time! If you are like me and love coconut flavor in desserts, you will surely enjoy these ladoos. It is my all-time favorite, and semolina is a staple in my pantry. If you have a sweet tooth, try these ladoos. They are sweet but not overly sweet. So you can enjoy it as a snack with tea and also serve it on festive occasions. And the best part, it is ready in less than 20 minutes!

Roasted semolina/rava has a sweet, nutty flavor and the aroma of ghee and cardamom makes this ladoos irresistible. Rava laddus are delicious, aromatic, with a soft crumble, melt in the mouth texture. Rava ladoo is very popular in South India, and there are some regional variations too. The Maharashtrian sooji/Rava ladoo is made differently with sugar syrup. Today I am sharing my mom's recipe. She learned from one of her friends in Andhra. It is simple and tasty. Rava ladoo stays fresh for up to a week at room temperature. So you can make it in advance for get-together or festive occasions. Give this recipe a try. I would love to hear from you, so let me know how it turned out for you :)

How to make perfect Rava ladoo
To make perfect ladoos, you need to toast the sooji/semolina in low flame till it is aromatic and the raw flavor disappears. It is an essential step because toasting makes the semolina aromatic with a sweet-crisp texture. The color of the ladoo is creamy white, so make sure the color does not change while roasting. You also need to make sure that you don’t burn the rava while roasting it. So it is best to roast the semolina on low flame for 7-8 minutes or till it is aromatic. Do not rush with this step and roast in low heat. Remove from heat and continue stirring for another minute to prevent scorching as the pan will be hot. Immediately transfer it to a plate and spread so that it cools down completely. Perfectly roasted semolina will have a crispy crunch. It is best to use fine sooji/ rava to make ladoos. If you only have the course sooji, pulse it a few times in the blender after it is roasted, to get fine sooji.

Coconut- Adding coconut is optional. It is best to use freshly grated coconut for this recipe. You can also use desiccated coconut, and it has a longer shelf life. If using fresh coconut toast the coconut is on low flames till all the moisture evaporates. If you are not a fan of coconut, you can skip adding it. It will still taste delicious.

Ghee- It is best to use good-quality homemade ghee for this recipe. Ghee/ clarified butter adds a nutty flavor to the ladoo. Ghee also helps to bind the semolina and the mixture to come together. If it seems dry after adding sugar, add one or two teaspoons of ghee or milk and mix well. It is best to add ghee as it will ensure longer shelf life. For a less calorie ladoo, add half ghee and half milk.

Variations of Rava ladoo
The Rava ladoo recipe is versatile. You can get creative and customize the ladoos to the flavor you like.
Rava Ladoo with Sugar syrup - Make thick sugar syrup (one thread consistency) and mix with the semolina.
Rava ladoo with Jaggery- Rava ladoo tastes delicious with jaggery too. You can either use thick jaggery syrup or powdered jaggery. Jaggery adds a rich molasses taste to the ladoo.
Rava Khoya/Mawa Ladoo- Mawa has reduced milk or milk solids. I used store-bought mawa. You can find mawa at Indian grocery stores in the freezer section. Alternatively, you can also use milk powder or condensed milk. If making with milk powder select, full-fat milk powder. You can find mawa milk powder in Indian grocery stores.
Rava Almond Ladoo- You can use any nut powder or paste of your choice. Almond ladoo tastes delicious. You can add around 1/2 cup of almonds. Dry roast almonds, and using a mixer, make it into a coarse powder. Add it to the gram flour and make ladoos. Alternatively, you can add pistachios or cashew nuts.

Easy Rava Coconut Ladoo/ Sooji Ladoo - Diwali Sweet

Ingredients
Rava/Semolina- 2 cup
Fine shredded dry coconut-1 cup
Sugar- 3/4 cup
( according to the sweetness you prefer)
Ghee- 3 tbs
Cardamon - 4-5
Rose essence- a few drops
(or rose water- 1/2 tsp)
Condensed milk- 2 tbs
Raisins- a few
Cashew nuts- a few

In a heavy bottom, pan dry roast rava/ sooji on a low flame and stir continuously for 7-8 minutes. The color is creamy white, so make sure the color doesn't change while roasting. Roast till semolina is aromatic. When you bite into it will have a crispy crunch to it. Remove from heat and continue stirring for another minute to prevent scorching as the pan will be hot. Immediately transfer it to a plate and spread so that it cools down.
In the same pan dry roast, the coconut till all the moisture evaporates. It will take 4-5 minutes in low flame. Makes sure that the color of coconut does not change.
Into a blender, add sugar and cardamom, and blend till it is a fine powder. Add the roasted semolina, coconut, and pulse a few times, till it comes together and well blended. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a pan and slightly roast chopped cashew nuts and raisins, and pour this over the semolina coconut mixture, along with rose water and two tablespoons of condensed milk. Mix with a spatula till it all comes together. If it is not wet enough, add a teaspoon or two of ghee. Take small portions (use an ice cream scoop) and roll them into balls. Press and roll between your palm by moving your hand in a circular motion to shape it like a ball. You can garnish with cashew nuts, pistachios, or almonds. When it cools down, transfer it into an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days, or refrigerate for up to ten days.