Rawa Laddoos

Rawa Laddoos - Vidya Nayak Shenoy

Ingredients: 


340 gm (2 cups) fine grained semolina (rava)
170 gm (1 cup) fresh grated coconut (you can also use frozen)
100 gm (1/2 cup) ghee (or use 1/3 cup)*
330 gm (1 1/2 cups sugar)
250 ml (1 cup) water
1/4 tsp saffron strands
7 to 8 cardamom pods, ground
20 cashews
20 raisins


Method: 

In a large bowl, mix the semolina and coconut, cover and keep aside for about 1/2 hour to 2 hours.
In a wok, heat the ghee on a medium flame. After it melts, put in the semolina-coconut mixture, reduce the flame and roast until the semolina turns golden and plump, about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure not to brown the semolina by continuously stirring it on low heat. Transfer the contents to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.
Put in the sugar and water into the wok and stir on medium heat until the sugar melts. Lower the heat after the sugar melts, add the saffron strands and cook until the syrup reaches one string consistency. You can test this by putting a drop of the syrup on a plate and allowing it to cool by blowing air on it and then taking the syrup between your forefinger and thumb and pulling it apart. At first the syrup is sticky and when the syrup draws a single thread its done!
After the syrup reaches single thread consistency, turn off the flame add add the cardamom, cashews and raisins and the semolina mixture. Mix well, cover and keep aside for 20 minutes to half an hour.
When the mixture is warm, form into laddus or balls by pressing small amounts of the mixture with your palms. Store in an air tight container.
Makes 24 to 28 laddus
Points to be noted:
Use 1/2 cup ghee for the ingredients listed above if you want a soft consistency melt in the mouth laddu. This won’t harden even when refrigerated.
If you use less ghee, the mixture might turn too dry to form into laddus. This can be sorted by adding a few spoons of milk until the mixture is soft enough to make into laddus. But, remember this will shorten the shelf life and might need to be refrigerated. Also the laddus are not very soft, but some people might prefer this texture to the softer one.
If the semolina is roasted well then it can be stored at room temperature for 8 to 10 days. Refrigerate it for a longer storing period.
Keep in mind that these laddus harden after some time!

Recipe from http://www.divinetaste.com/