Coconut Rava Laddu/Sweet Semolina Balls

I made Rava Laddus today….With shredded coconut-usually called Coconut semolina Balls or Nariyal Rava laddu.

This was a dish my mother made when I pestered her to make something sweet sweet. But she usually made the version without the coconut shreds. Knowing my love for sweets she would make them promptly. As she made the balls I would pop up behind her and eat up all of the balls not even waiting for them to be transferred into containers .Seeing me swallow so much of sweet my mother got worried. As soon as the balls were mad e they were gone. The Lucky ones that got transferred into steel jars were gone by the end of the day…So my mother devised a plan. She made my rava laddus during the time I went to school and transferred it into 3-4 small jars. She stashed them away to unknown corners of the house. She opened a jar every time  I craved for the laddus and handed me 2or three. I pestered her for more .She would give me 2 more. She would  then show me the jar and say “Over” See its empty…A week later she would open the next jar to bring the smile back on my face or surprise me.This plan would invariably worked for her, everytime.

So that’s my sweet story….I loved the laddus I made today. But today the roles changed. The mommy in me used the same fool proof plan on her  lil Aniket today…He loves sweets too….Like my mom I was afraid that too much sweets would be bad on his tiny teeth…..I gave him one he asked for more…..so what did I do? I transferred the laddus safely to another jar and showed him the empty jar and said’’ Over” See its empty?

Ingredients

Rava/Semolina -1 cup

Sugar-1-3/4 cup

Ghee-25 gms/1/4 cup

Milk-25 ml/1/4 cup

Shredded Coconut-1/4cup ie:25 gms or ½ cup

Rrasins-10

Cashew nuts-10

Cardamom powder-2 pinches or 4 pods

Method

Heat 2 -3 tsp ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Once ghee is hot reduce flame. Fry the cashew nuts and then rasins till they puff up. Keep aside

Roast the grated Coconut. Keep aside

Add remaining ghee. Heat it .Add rava /semolina and roast till aroma comes and it changes colour over medium flame.Switch off flame. Allow to cool

Add sugar to roasted semolina.Add Cardamom pods or powder. Grind this in mixer so that they mix well.

Mix grated coconut, rasins and nuts.

Add warm milk,just enough to help make round balls of the mixture.

Transfer back to heavy bottomed pan and  cook in sim for 2 minutes

Mix well and cover. Let it rest for 2 minutes.

Make round balls and serve.

Notes

1. Another method of making the above

 a. Roast rasins,  in ghee and keep aside

 b. Roast rava till aroma comes .Add grated coconut

 c. In another thick bottomed vessel boil ½ cup of water and ¾ cup sugar till one string consistency

 d. Add rava coconut mixture and stir well .

 e. Add cahew, rasins and cardamom powder to above. Keep aside to cool.

  Make balls and serve.

If you are not able to make balls add warm milk to above

Refrigerate laddu made with milk for later use(consume in 2or 3 days)

Sending this to Walk through Memory Lane