Rava Laddu is south India’s common sweet made for festivals, weddings, gatherings, pujas. Laddu can be compared to bliss balls, truffles known to the western world. To be more precise, Rava laddu is no-bake, no chocolate bliss balls or no-bake, no chocolate truffles. Rava aka Semolina and coconut laddu is all-natural and high-quality and tasty dessert you can ever have. It is perishable. Will stay fresh for 3-4 weeks. Freshness can be extended by refrigerating and also by not using milk. Don’t settle down with store-bought low-quality sweets. Making your own laddu is easier than you think. Satisfy your sweet tooth with homemade, natural, high-quality sweets.
I am a big fan of traditional boondi laddus. Boondi laddus are deep fried and then dipped in white sugar syrup, they are obviously high in calories, and they carry bad calories. Bad calories meaning they are from oil and sugar. For these reasons, boondi laddu’s are not in my festival food list. Instead, I started making quite a yummy laddu’s with other healthier ingredients yet no compromise in taste. They are all-natural, diet-friendly laddus. For those who have diet restrictions don’t have to think much to eat. Just relax enjoy the festive season. They carry healthy calories, as minerals (magnesium, potassium, iron), Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber. They are also a good source of proteins.
Why use brown sugar?
Food manufacturers add chemically treated high-fructose corn syrup, to a lot of foods and drinks. This includes bread, crackers, flavored yogurt, sauces, dressings and much more. Foods labeled as low-fat are actually high in sugar. Manufacturers add sugar to add flavor. For this and lot more reasons, processed foods are high in calories, sugar, sodium and fat with little nutritional value. Natural sugars are found in fruit as fructose and in dairy products as lactose. Fruits have vitamins, minerals, and fiber, Milk has protein and fruit has fiber, both of which keep you feeling full longer. The fiber in fruit slows down sugar absorption and makes you feel full.
The body metabolizes the sugar in fruit and refined sugar differently. Brown sugar contains little amounts of minerals, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium, whereas white sugar has none of these. By using brown sugar, you will also avoid the bleach and other chemicals that white sugar has. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to shoot up. Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed.
- 1 cup - Semolina (Rava)
- 1 cup - freshly grated coconut
- ¼th tsp - fresh ground cardamom
- 1 cup - packed brown sugar
- ¼th-1/2 cup - fresh ghee
- 10 Cashews, almonds
- 10 Raisins
- In ¼th tsp ghee, fry cashews and diced almonds.
- Roast Rava on medium heat until raw smell is gone. Approximately for 5-8 minutes
- Separately roast coconut till dry. Approximately for 5-8 minutes.
- Let them cool.
- In a mixing bowl, combine roasted Rava, coconut, brown sugar, cardamom, and cashews.
- Slowly add melted ghee while mixing thoroughly. Make sure ghee is not hot. If it is hot, it will melt jaggery.
- Once you get the consistency to form laddu, don't add any more ghee. If you cannot form intact laddu after pouring all the ghee, take ice-cold milk, add few drops (3-4 drops) at a time, mix well and try to make laddu. Balls look fragile at this time. But after 15 mins or so after milk dries up and ghee solidifies, laddus will be intact. If you are not confident if you can make intact laddus, add little by little honey and mix well.
- Make balls by pressing in your hand.
- Serve immediately.
- This procedure sounds complicated. But it works perfectly. Compared to white sugar, stickiness in brown sugar or jaggery helps in forming laddus with less ghee.
- Eat while fresh. They stay fresh for 3-4 weeks. Adding less milk keeps them fresh for many days.
- Refrigerate if you are storing for a few days. Using fresh homemade ghee enhances aroma and taste significantly.
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