Rava Laddu

This is a popular Indian sweet prepared during festivals. It is easy to make and is delicious. If you don't like sweets, you might want to adjust the semolina/sugar ratio accordingly.

Ingredients

2 cups semolina (rava / suji)

2 cups sugar

Coconut (optional)

Milk (3-4 oz)

Raisins
Cashews 

Cardamom

Method

1. Fry the raisins and Cashews in some butter and keep them aside

2. Heat 3-4 tbsp of butter and fry the semolina (suji) on low heat up till it turns light brown.

3. Add sugar and milk and stir till the mixture becomes sticky.

4. Add the fried cashews, raisins and cardamom powder to the mixture.

5. When the mixture cools down, you can start making balls.

6. Ready to serve.

p.s. Adding dried coconut powder instead of fresh coconut will make the laddus stay fresh for a longer time. 

Boondhi Laddu

I always thought that making Boondhi Laddu was a difficult task.  But, it was worth the effort to have homemade Laddus. Boondhis are small round balls (fried in oil) and soaked in fragrant sugar syrup. After soaking, the syrup infused boondhis are formed into balls (ladoos).

(Laddu Ladle)

Ingredients

2 cups Besan (Gram flour)
2 cups sugar
Water
Raisins
Cashews
Cardamom.

Method

Add 11/2 - 2 cups of water to the flour. The batter should be of dosa batter consistency. 

Prepare the sugar syrup by adding 2 cups of water to 2 cups of sugar on medium heat. The consistency of syrup should be of single string consistency.  Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in some butter/ghee till golden brown. Add the raisins, cashews and crushed cardamom powder to the syrup.

Heat oil. When the oil is hot, hold the Laddu ladle above the oil and pour a small amount of batter to it. Drops of batter fall into the oil and bubble up. Remove the boondhis after 10 seconds and place them on a paper towel. Drain the oil and transfer the boondhis to the syrup

The Boondhis should completely absorb the syrup. Now, you can start preparing laddus. You need to hold some boondis tightly in your hands so that the boondis can hold together.

 Enjoy home-made Laddus.

Badhusha

Badhusha is one of my favorite sweets since they are not too sweet.  This is an easy recipe for a delicious treat. My girls love homemade Badhushas. Badhushas are mildly sweet and hence you can try this recipe even if you don't like sweets. This recipe gives soft Badhushas that melt in your mouth.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida -2 cups
Yogurt/Curd-1/3 cup
Butter -1/2 cup
Cooking soda-1/4 tsp

For Sugar syrup

Sugar-2 cups
Water-1 cups
Vanilla essence.

Method:

Mix the flour, curd, butter and cooking soda and make a soft dough (use little water).  The dough should be like Chapathi dough. Cover with plate and keep it side for an hour.

Make the sugar syrup by adding sugar and water.  The syrup should be of one string consistency.  Add the vanilla essence at the end.  After an hour, make round balls with the dough. Take a ball, flatten the ball and fold the edges decoratively.

 Fry the Badhushas in Oil on medium flame. Fry until they are golden brown.(drain the oil)

Add them to the sugar syrup and soak them for 5 minutes.

 Enjoy!

Mysore Pak

 
When I think of Mysore Pak, Shri Krishna Sweets came to my mind, where the mysore pak was soft oozing with ghee and sugar and melts in your mouth.  This version is similar and the mysore paks were soft and melted in the mouth.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bengal Gram

11/2 cups Sugar
11/2 cup Ghee
 3/4cup Water

Preparation:

• Heat the sugar in water till reaches a ball consistency.

• Add the flour slowly and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed.
• When the flour is well blended pour in slowly hot ghee and stir continuously.
• Cook till the mixture becomes frothy and the ghee separates.
• Spread out on a greased plate.

• When firm cut the mysore pak into squares.  

p.s. You can add 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of ghee for a sweeter/softer Mysore Paks.