Rava laddoo recipe (Semolina sweet balls)

Happy Diwali to everyone! 

Diwali or the festival of lights is incomplete without sweets or "mithai". 

Both my daughters love their sweets, the elder one loves rasmalai and the younger one likes the motichoor laddoos. Now for somebody who is not a great cook, making these 2 sweets is like asking me to climb Mt. Everest! Yea, indeed its a big deal. So I had to get cracking and try something lest I look like those moms who keep telling their kids...try beta...if you don't you will never succeed! 

So I remembered my mother who would make gulab jamuns and rava laddoos. So I decided to make the rava laddoos.

Rava laddoos

So here is the recipe. Its rather easy and you can make about 15 laddoos.

Ingredients

Rava or Semolina -1 cup

Sugar  - 1 cup

Unsweetened grated coconut -1/2 cup

Ghee or clarified butter - 6 tbsp

Milk - 1/2 cup (boiled and cooled)

Cashewnuts - 3 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp

Ice cold water to make the laddoos

Directions:

****Cook this entire thing on low heat. 

In a big kadhai or saucepan, add 2 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. To this add cashewnuts. When the cashewnuts turn a bit brown, add raisins. When the raisins get a bit plump, add the coconut. Now add the rava or semolina. Stir. Now add 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter. Stir the mixture for about 5- 7 minutes until its turning a golden brown. Now add sugar and stir. Again add 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. Stir for another 5-7 minutes. Remember this must be cooked on low heat. So don't burn it, and see that you have no distractions! (Smiles). Now add milk and stir and add the last 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter. Add the cardamom powder. Stir once more. Switch off the stove and transfer this mixture to a plate to cool down. 

While the mixture is cooling down , dip your palm in the cold water and then take a small portion of the mixture in your palm to make an 8" laddoo. The ice cold water will help you to make the laddoos,because the mixture is rather hot. (You cannot make the laddoos if the mixture cools off, because the mixture will harden). Follow the same procedure to make all the laddoos.You should be able to make about 15 laddoos in all. Depends on how big you want them to be.

Keep aside for about 30 minutes before you serve. Store in airtight container and consume within 5 days.

Enjoy and impress your loved ones like I did.

Let me know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you.