Rava Laddu

Ingredients:

1 cup Rava, semolina
1/2 cup Dry Shredded Coconut
1/2 cup Water
5-6 Saffron Strands
1/4 cup Ghee (clarified butter)
3/4 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Cashew nuts, broken into halves
1½ tablespoons Raisins
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Method:

Take a thick-bottomed kadai and heat ghee in it. Fry the cashew nuts until light brown over low flame. Drain and transfer to a plate. Fry raisins in the same ghee until they puff up, drain and transfer them to the same plate.

Add rava in remaining heated ghee in the same pan.

Roast it until its color changes to light brown and fragrant smell starts to come over low flame.

Add shredded coconut and mix well.

Turn off the flame and transfer to a plate. Allow it to cool at room temperature.

Heat water and sugar in the kadai over medium flame and stir continuously until sugar melts into syrup (chashni). Add saffron strands.

Cook until it becomes sticky and lightly one string consistency. Do not cook it for long time.

To check whether its “one string” consistency or not, put a drop of syrup on a plate or a small bowl and cool it by blowing air on it. Take a pinch of sugar syrup between your thumb and forefinger, pull them apart and check if single strand is formed.

Slowly add semolina-shredded coconut mix (prepared in step-3) in syrup and stir continuously to avoid lumps.

Turn off the flame. Add cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom powder and mix well. Allow it to cool at room temperature until warm enough to handle. Divide it into 15 equal parts and give them a shape of ball (laddu) with your palms.

Rava laddus are ready. Either serve them immediately or store in an airtight container to enjoy it at anytime you like.

Courtesy: http://foodviva.com