Try this easy and delicious Rava (Semolina or Farina) ladoo aka laddu recipe. It’s a great make-ahead dessert option. With fragrant saffron and coconut, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Thank you Shantha Dwarkanath for this wonderful recipe!
Ingredients:
Fine Rava/Sooji – 2 cups
Unsalted Butter – ½ stick ( 4 ounces, or 113 grams)
Shredded Dry Coconut – 1 ½ cups
Sugar – 2 cups or 1 ½ cups if you want it less sweet
Evaporated Milk – 5oz can (147ml)
Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
Saffron – 1 pinch, powdered (optional)
Edible Camphor – 1 pinch, powdered (optional)
Raisins – ¼ cup, roasted in a little butter
Cashew/Almond/Pistachio – ¼ cup, coarsely chopped and roasted in a little butter
Method:
* Melt Butter in a non-stick pan on medium heat.
* Add Rava/Sooji and fry until you get the nice roasted Rava aroma.
* Add Shredded Coconut and Sugar and mix well on low heat for few seconds.
* Add Raisins, Nuts, Saffron, Cardamom Powder, and Edible Camphor – Mix well.
* Add Evaporated Milk and turn off the stove. Keep mixing for few minutes until the Evaporated Milk is well incorporated.
* Remove pan from stove.
* Dip your hands in cold water, take small amount of the mixture (golf ball size) and roll it into balls.
* Makes approx. 35 to 40 ladoos depending on the size you make.
Tip:
* Let the Ladoos cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or Ziploc bags.
* Store the Ladoos in the freezer – they stay fresh for months! (…but remember to serve at room temperature).
I made the ladoos and they are delicious… just want to know how long they will stay good in container at room temp… I know u said that they stay fresh for months in freezer but what about in the pantry…. how long they can stay fresh…. please reply….
Since the ladoos are made with milk, it is best to keep them in the fridge, not the pantry. In the fridge, they will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Thanks for the reply…. i will put them in the fridge now….
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I wanted to make some rava ladoo for my fiance who is going to India in 2 days.. I tried ur recipe and it came out so delicious.. Thank you..
-Saisudha
hey can I use powdered semolina instead of the full form one as that is the only one available
Hi Rizna,
This recipe calls for fine semolina so the powdered one should work.
thanks a lot dear.Keep up the good work.
Hey Hetal
I made rava laddoo again, it came out much much better than last time… just wonderful… thanks a lot… i made a small variation….. i used half and half milk and while making balls, i used raw cold milk instead of water… haha it just came out very nice… thought i will share with you
best,
gayatri
Thanks for the feedback Gayatri!
Hey Hetal / Anuja
I tried this rava laddu yesterday, came out just perfect. Thanks so much. I love your recipes and I have treid most of them. Just love it. I could not get a perfect palak paneer, becuase I did not know how to mash onions and it looked like it had lots of onions in it. Except this I got everything wonderfully… Keep up the great job.
best,
Hi Gayatri,
Thanks for writing! Glad you are enjoying SMTC! We sometimes use a food processor to chop onions finely (if we have a big batch to do).
Hi Hetal,
Idid the samething, i used a food processor, i think it is probably my fault… do u put some water when u use food processor for mashing onions?
thanks for letting me know..
best,
Hi Gayatri,
No, with a food processor, you usually do not need water.
hi hetal n anuja,
Thx for this wonderful recipe.It helped me fulfilling my husband’s demand.
Hi Ladies,
I just wanted to commend you both for all of the fabulous recipes posted. I’ve tried many of them and each and every one had been received with many great compliments. Thanks for the great job and all of your hard work. It’s really much appreciated.
Also to your naysayers – they’re idiots. For lack of a better word. =)
Anita
Thanx Hetal.
i hv tried this recipe by using full cream milk but not in exact form.i boiled milk many times on slow gas.it took half an hour to become thick.
it was really gud everyone liked it so much.
thanx again.
Thanks Amrinder, for letting us know that it worked! The information will be useful for a lot of viewers.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Hetal & Anuja
thanx alot for ur videos.i ll try this recipe soon.but could u please tell me from where i can get this evaporated milk?can i use a simple milk with full fat?i m living in Australia so little bit confused about this kind of milk bcoz i hv never heard about it before.
Hi Amrinder,
Evaporated milk is regular milk that has some of it’s moisture removed…making it thicker. In the US, it comes in cans (tins) and is available in the same grocery aisle as condensed milk and other baking items. We’ve never used regular milk, but it may be too thin. Maybe you can try it out on a smaller batch.
Hello, I am big fan of your cooking ideas. I like making dahi vada but it turn out to be little hard. How can I make it soft. Please adivse………..
Hi PJ,
Usually, soaking the vadas in water softens them up.
HI
I think you guys try to immitate like americans ….accent but totally waste .one of you girl speak more than the other .beacuse she can speak in accent (american).Oh you can speak in yout own accent instead of speaking crap.
Hi Deepa,
Thanks for your honest feedback. Though I wish not to have to defend my accent over and over (and over), I somehow feel compelled to do so 🙂 .
True…I am not a native American. However, I came to the US at the age of 5 and learned my first word of English here. Naturally, I will acquire the accent that I grow up hearing. If you’ve ever heard Indians from England, you will notice that they too have an “English†accent. An accent is not something you are born with. Just because I am an Indian, I am not destined to have an “Indian†accent.
I truly hope that you don’t think I am “trying†to speak as an American. I am speaking as “Hetalâ€.
Hi wonder-girls or my cute jinis,
You have made my life so simple! whatever doubts/problems I have regarding cooking or various recipes your site SMTC is like alladin’s chirag for me. Just log on to it and get everything solved in an amazingly simplest and easy manner 🙂
I have just tried these Rava Ladoos. I had never eaten them before, and now I am head over heels crazy about them. They have come out delicious and exactly like yours in the video.
Thanks for consistently enriching my cuisine with all your lovely and easy recipes. A big smile to you both.
*
> )
*
Cheers!
Hi
Anuja and Hetal
I have seen ur video of rava ladoo and I tried it. For me it came very good in first time itself. And yes I dint use camphor and instead of evaporated milk, I used normal milk. It came very good. Thanks for teaching me Rava Ladoo. But I am expecting Motichoor Laddo from you, to make for Diwali but Before that I would like to try, so show the video of motichur ladoo as early as possible.
Thank you.
@ Disorichu,
Even i couldnt find fine rava and tried with coarse one.Still it comes out very fine..I forgot to add coconut so ladoo didnt get perfect bland But,it was delicious homemade stuff…
I dont find the fine rava in the stores around. The only one I find is coarse variety. Can I use it to make the ladoos? Or is there any alternative?
I would like to make Lakhadshi ladoo which are famous in Ahmedabad.
Does any one know how to make them?
ok, so these were my first ladoo. i didn’t know what to expect, but they were absolutely addictive. on a trip to california i went in an indian bakery and bought a box of assorted sweets to compare. *none* of them could touch this recipe. they were all crunchy sugar and inferior fat.
roasting the raisins in butter is genius! is this a standard Indian technique? brought out a whole different flavor that even friend who hates raisins liked.
i used a 2 Tablespoon portion scoop for this. it made it really easy to form the ladoo.
Thanks for your feedback. We use a standard cup measure which is 8 fluid ounces for all of our recipes. Our suggestion is to use an actual measuring cup instead of a coffee/tea cup or mug which may vary in size. Many times, 8 ounces in weight can be different than 8 ounces in volume…so, the metric conversion from 1 cup to grams can be wrong. 8 ounces is approximately 227 ml, if that helps any.
Hi,
Can I use the fresh milk for Rava Ladoo ? If yes, what will be the quantity ?
Thank you
Anita
Hi Anita,
If you use fresh milk, the consistency will be too thin. Evaporated milk gives you the concentrated milk flavor/texture without the excess moisture.
dear anuja & hetal,
thanx for the great job u r doing! i tried this recipe & came out very well.could u please show some simple dishes for daily eating,with vegetables like lauki,beetroot,cabbage,ridgegourd,karela,etc without potato
also could u show dessert preparation using sugarfree tablets for diabetic people. thanx once again
Hi Gayatri,
We have quite a few recipes using everyday veggies like you mentioned. You can find them in either the “Subzi” or “Curries” section.
Hello Ladies,
I made the Rava Ladoo today and they are disappearing fast. I cannot keep my hands out of the container. However, I am going to share this wonderful dessert with a friend who has an asian grocery store. I have been in his store so many times picking up ingredients as I learn from you how to prepare these amazing dishes. I have thoroughly enjoyed your website.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Rosa
Namaste…Hetal and Anuja!
This Rani form Studio City, California. I made the laadoos today and they came out great!! Thanks again you guys! Any thing I try from your site, it comes out GREAT! YOU GUYS ROCK.
Special Kemcho to Hetal…(I am also Gujarati). Anuja which state of India are you from? I LOVE you both. Please, keep the good work.
love,
Rani
hi gals
i love rava ladoo. My mom n even my grany doesnt know how to prepare these ladoo.
When ever i want to have, my Grany’s friend use to come my home n prepare theese ladoo’s for me.
Today i have prepared these ladoo’s. they turned out well n were soooooo tasty.
thnx for this recipe
hello friends!!
ur smiling faces…n simple made cooking
we luv it!!!
i prepard rawa laddos adding coconut pwdr n mava..
any idea how long can i keep them on shelf without refrigerating?
thx
Hello Gals Hetal and Anuja … keep up the great recipes. I tried both Rava Ladoo and Peda’s from the dessert section for my daughters 1st B’day. They were hit. Very simple and easy desserts. thank you sooooo much 🙂
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Kudos to your guys.. I love your videos. They are simple, effective & encouraging to get behind the stove and cook. I myself run a blog with authentic Karnataka recipes. This recipe reminded me of our festivals back in India. For a variation, I have tried these laddus adding food colors and different essences and they work great as a gift for festivals..Great show…
Cheers,
Paru
Hi Mam,
Thank u for this wonderful dessert. My all time favorite.
I do make them but a little differently. Not that much different though.
I use fresh coconut. I grind them finely without water and fry them in a pan till they are slight brown. (on slow flame). This process of frying this fresh coconut increases it shelf life as u said. Also..trust me the taste is grt….!! I know it takes a little while….but its worth it. Believe me… ull love it. And i use normal 2 % milk..i don know the measure…i just take some and pore it till i get the consistency it is of making a ladoo. hardly 1/4 glass for 1 glass of rava.
If u like ,i can surely post my recipies. I’d love to share this one.
Again ..thanks for all ur recipies. You have really helped me a lot with ur wonderful recipies!!!
Pl keep it going…
Cheers,
Priya
Great website. I have been making lot of your recipe and it turned out very good. I just tried rava ladoo using half and half instead of evaporated milk with same measurement and turned out perfect. Please bring in more recipes!!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I tried this recipe and it turned out well, not even this many of many of the recipes shown by u people and today i couldn’t stop myself from posting a comment,u know why……i tried many sanjive kapoors recipe and it didn’t turn well but u people r amazing,i beome a fan of urs.Thanks for all of ur recipes.
could u post recipe for khandvi?please
Hi Ange,
Thanks for the encouragement. I am Gujarati and Anuja is Punjabi. Our website is about all about Indian food, not just vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We try to have something for everyone.
I was just reding all the commets posted by various ppl…..u say you guys are from Gujarat so does that mean you are Gujaratis……..and if yes then how come you guys cook so many Non-Veg. dishes. Just curious. You guys are doing an awesome job…keep it up. Do u try or have low Fat Indian recipes!! would love some.
How much is one cup in mililiter(for water) and gram(for suji?
hi Hetal and Anuja,
please post the recipe for Besan Laddoos.please
Hi Hetal and Anuja……..
I am regular visitors of your site……. and before some days, I posted a recipe how to make Chana Dal Vada( Bhajji) I do not know whether you guys liked the recipe or not, bcos it hava not yet posted. Accually I started cooking after came in USA itself, I am from Kolkata( Calcutta) previosly even I used call to my mom and ask everything how to make this and that, but since a year I started cooking really delicious from Bengali dishes to Northindian and Continental everything(my husband says).So once I tried Chana Dal Vada and it came really good, so I want you guys to try atleast once.
Take care and keep it up
Priya
Hi Priya,
Gujarat…if you meant which Indian state.
Texas…if you meant in the US. :).
Hi Priya,
We will make a note to do Golguppas soon.
We are in Texas.
Take Care
Hi Hetal and Anuja
Could you please show a vedio, how to make Pani Puri ( Golgappa), becos lots of time I tried to make it it did not turn good. any way if possible then pls show……..
Hi Hetal
Thanks for responding……, you are from which state?
Hi Priya,
Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of water content removed. Therefore, it is quite a bit thicker than whole milk. You would probably be better off using Half and Half or Heavy Cream. Because the consistency of either of these might be different than the evaporated milk, the recipe might be different (meaning, you might have to use a different amount than what is stated in our recipe).
Let us know if you try it and how it comes out.
Hi Sama,
Yes, by dried coconut, we did mean dessicated coconut. Glad your rava ladoos turned out fine.
Hi………
Can I use whole milk instead of evaporated milk?
watched ur videos….thanks a lot..i have tried some of ur recipes and it was great in taste..i have tried this rava ladoo too…i wish to knw that dried coconut used in this recipe means desiccated coconut…i used that…and still it was fine
Usually the larger Indian grocery stores carry it. If you are not able to find it, you can skip the edible camphor all together. Infact, we prefer to make this recipe without it.
Where can i find Edible camphor? Its not at my local indian store.
thanks a lot for all yours video recipes.
Hi Jaya,
Thanks for your feedback. We use a standard cup measure which is 8 fluid ounces for all of our recipes. Our suggestion is to use an actual measuring cup instead of a coffee/tea cup or mug which may vary in size. Many times, 8 ounces in weight can be different than 8 ounces in volume…so, the metric conversion from 1 cup to grams can be wrong. 8 ounces is approximately 227 ml, if that helps any.
Hi,
Thank you very much for your video recipes. I tried some of them and I am very happy to say they came out real good. One small request Please can tell me the correct measurement of the quantities in gms instead of cups in the rava laddu recipe. Cups vary in size. some recipes like Rava laddu need the exact amount of quantities. Also please try to do the same in all the future recipes.Thank you very much for your time.
Hi,
Watched your video (to be very frank, i was pleasantly surprised!)
Shoot me if you have a gun, i had used condensed milk instead of evapurated milk 🙁
I am definately going to make this again.
Thanks a lot for the video.
I am sorry you burnt your hands…that is why we said ‘dip your hands in cold water’. Anyway, the video is coming out soon…look out for it.
Did not turn out well and i burnt my hand cause i am not a good cook, please make a video for this.