Coconut ladoo

Ladoo is a generic name for a family of traditional desserts made in the Indian subcontinent. Spherical in shape, it’s a sweet which probably is made in a hundred different ways using different kind of ingredients across India and the subcontinent.

Ladoo is a sweet which is everyone’s favorite in India and immediately takes me back to the aroma in my Mom’s kitchen every time she made it. One thing which I definitely missed living outside India is the taste of home made sweets. I was so used to my mother making these at home and I enjoying them during festivals and special occasions, It never occurred to me that I can try my hands on these as well rather than waiting to travel to India.

Earlier this year, I took the plunge and tried making Coconut ladoo (my first Indian dessert!), just one out of many forms of this sweet. This one is primarily made with grated Coconut, condensed milk and dry fruits.

Sharing the recipe below which I had used. The ladoos turned out to be pretty tasty (but nothing matches the taste from home which I still reminisce).

Prep Time: 10 mins; Cook Time: 20 mins

This recipe makes about 15 small ladoos and requires few easily available pantry staples – coconut, condensed milk and dry fruits. They are ready under 30 minutes and are so soft they just melt in your mouth !!

Things you need

  • 2 cups fresh grated coconut
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk ( can be adjusted according to the sweetness)
  • 2 tsp pistachios
  • 2 tsp almonds

Let’s make it

  1. In a pan, dry roast freshly grated coconut on low flame
  2. Once the coconut becomes fragrant (around 5 minutes), add in the condensed milk and mix till the mixture is combined. Make sure to keep aside some coconut for coating the ladoos later
  3. Keep on stirring on low flame until the mixture gets crumbly
  4. Switch off the flame and empty the prepare mixture in a bowl and allow it to cool
  5. Meanwhile crush the almonds and pistachios in a grinder to make a coarse powder
  6. Mix dry fruits powder with the coconut mixture until well combined
  7. Once the mixture is cool, make small balls to form the ladoos
  8. Roll the ladoos on the plate of roasted coconut (reserved from earlier). This adds more flavor to the ladoos

Notes

  1. Before starting cooking, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature
  2. Coconut Ladoos should be stored in an airtight container . You can store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Hope you try making these coconut ladoos soon and if you do then please leave us a comment!

~Ina