Rava Laddu / ரவை லட்டு
Rava laddu is an easy to make snack that you can find at celebrations like birthdays, weddings, holidays, etc.
The primary ingredient is semolina, a grain rich in fiber and nutrients. The sugar makes this less healthy, but try to reduce the sugar content as much as you can to enjoy the snack. You can also add more cashews and raisins if you’d like.
I often made rava laddu for culture festivals at my high school. The fun part about this snack is that you can make it in any shape you would like. When I was younger, I didn’t like my hands getting sticky or how hot the mixture might be, so I often used the plastic cups that came with cough medicine as a mold. With molds, you can use a spoon to pack them in and maintain the shape. Similar to cough medicine cup, you could use a scooper or other molds you have in your kitchen.
Take a look at a video here if the visual is useful.
Rava Laddu
Ingredients
- 1 cup Semolina (ரவை)
- ½ cup Sugar (சீனி)
- ¼ cup Cashews (முந்திரிப்பருப்பு)
- ¼ cup Raisins (முந்திரி வத்தல்)
- ¼ cup Coconut Milk (தேங்காய்ப்பால்)
- ¾ tsp Butter (வெண்ணெய்)
- pinch Cardamom Powder (ஏலக்காய்த்தூள்)
Instructions
- Roast the semolina on medium to low flame for about 15 minutes. The semolina will feel a bit softer and turn a golden color. Keep stirring to avoid burning it.
- In another pan, add ¼ tsp butter. Once it melts, roast the cashews and raisins for about 5 minutes on low flame. Add a pinch of cardamom at the end. Stir to avoid burning the cashews and raisins.
- Once the semolina is roasted, put it in on a plate to cool evenly.
- After the semolina has cooled, melt ½ tsp butter on a pan.
- Add the sugar and roasted semolina to the pan. Stir on low flame until mixed evenly.
- Pour coconut milk little by little to the mixture. Make sure to stir well and quickly as the milk is added.
- Once the mixture is mostly wet and combined with the coconut milk (will clump a bit), mix in the cashews and raisins.
- Take the pan off the flame to cool a bit. Wash your hands to keep them wet as you shape the mixture into round balls. Be careful not to burn yourself if the mixture is too hot.
