When Diwali preparations are running late and you still need one more sweet for the box, coconut ladoo is the answer. It takes little time, needs few ingredients and does not require any special skill. Here are two versions: the traditional South Indian one made with fresh coconut and jaggery, and a quick one with desiccated coconut and milk. Both start with coconut toasted in ghee, which is what lifts them.
Version 1: Fresh coconut and jaggery ladoo
- 2 cups freshly grated coconut (white part only)
- ¾ to 1 cup grated jaggery
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp chopped cashews
- 2 tbsp water
- Toast the coconut. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan. Add the grated coconut and roast on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the moisture reduces and it smells fragrant. Do not brown it.
- Melt the jaggery. In another pan, melt the jaggery with 2 tbsp water on low heat. Strain to remove impurities, and return to the pan.
- Combine. Add the coconut to the jaggery. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens, turns glossy and comes together, leaving the sides of the pan.
- Finish. Fry the cashews in the remaining ghee until golden. Add them with cardamom.
- Shape. Let it cool until you can handle it but it is still warm. Grease your palms with ghee and roll into ladoos.
These are soft and chewy. Because fresh coconut contains moisture, refrigerate them and eat within 4 to 5 days.
Version 2: Quick desiccated coconut ladoo
- 2 cups desiccated coconut, plus ¼ cup for rolling
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ¾ cup full-cream milk
- ½ cup sugar, or ¾ cup condensed milk in place of milk and sugar
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- A few saffron strands (optional)
- Toast. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the desiccated coconut on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add milk and sugar. Add milk and sugar (or condensed milk), and saffron. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Flavour. Add cardamom.
- Shape. When warm enough to handle, shape into ladoos and roll in the extra desiccated coconut.
These keep for about a week in the fridge.
Tips
Low heat throughout. Coconut and jaggery both scorch quickly.
Shape while warm. Once cold, the mixture stops binding. If it gets too firm, warm it briefly.
Ghee on your palms. It stops the mixture sticking and gives each ladoo a gloss.
Why ghee matters even here
Toasting coconut in ghee brings out its natural oils and gives a nutty depth that plain cooked coconut lacks. It is a small amount of ghee, and a noticeable difference.
If the Diwali box still has a gap, this is the sweet to fill it with. A couple of tablespoons of Desi Cow A2 Ghee is all it needs.