Coconut Laddu
Coconut laddu are a traditional Indian sweet made from coconut, milk, and spices. These fragrant little balls are often prepared for festivals and served with tea. Thanks to their simple ingredients and delicate taste, coconut laddu are loved all over India.
Ingredients
Instructions
To make coconut laddu, you will need one whole fresh coconut.
First, carefully break open the coconut, remove the hard shell, and peel off the thin brown skin from the white flesh.
Cut the white coconut flesh into small pieces and blend it in a food processor or blender until finely grated. One medium coconut usually gives about 200 g of fresh grated coconut.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the grated coconut and fry it gently for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it releases a nice aroma.
Pour in ½ cup of milk and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Then add the sweetened condensed milk (300 g).
Keep cooking the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan. This can take 10–15 minutes. Stir in the ground cardamom and mix well. The mixture is ready when it no longer sticks to the pan.
Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly until it is warm enough to handle but not too hot. Grease your hands lightly with a little ghee and shape the mixture into small, even-sized balls (about the size of a walnut).
Decoration. Traditional coconut laddu are rolled in dry desiccated coconut. In India, they are also often decorated with saffron threads, which add beautiful color and a subtle fragrance.
Soak the saffron threads in 1–2 tablespoons of warm milk or water for about 20 minutes.
Roll each ball in desiccated coconut, then gently press a few saffron threads on top. If you like, you can drizzle a drop or two of the saffron-soaked milk over each laddu for extra flavor and color.
Your coconut laddu are now ready to serve!
