Rava Laddu - Vijayadashami Special

One thing that I learnt living in different cities across India is that we celebrate our (native) regional festivals better there. Ya really!! Like when we (me and my parents) lived in Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh) and we had month long Onam (Kerala's Rice Harvest festival) celebrations. Let me tell you how. Firstly there would be a Onam get-together with our family friends. Then there would be another get-together with the Kerala Association and so on. But of course, the kind of fun that you have, celebrating a festival, at your home - town is entirely different. :) 

This year for Vijayadashami, my lovely neighbors invited me for the Vijayadashami pooja and I was running around to meet them. And gosh all of them made a lot of yummy goodies. I made this yummy Rava Laddu for my dear hubby and our friends. Thankfully they liked it  :)  It is so easy and simple to make. Try it out friends, you are gonna love this sweet. 

Rava Laddu is a ball-shaped sweet, very popular in India. They are made by combining semolina, sugar, milk, ghee and nuts.  So here goes the recipe for you guys :)

Ingredients

• Rava / Wheat Semolina - 1 C
• Sugar - 1 C
• Ghee - 1/4 C
• Milk - 1/2 C
• Cardamom, powdered - a pinch
• Cashew nuts/Raisins - 10 
• Coconut, grated - 1/4 C

Method

• Heat 1 T of ghee in a pan and roast cashew nuts and raisins when hot.
• Remove from fire and roast the coconut.
• Once they turn a light brown color, remove from fire.
• Keep the nuts, raisins and coconut aside.
• Add rest of the ghee into the pan and roast rava (keep stove in sim) till it starts giving out an aroma.
• In a separate bowl, add the roasted rava, nuts, raisins, coconut and cardamom. 
• To this mix, add sugar and mix well.
• Meanwhile, warm the milk.
• Add the warm milk into the bowl slowly and simultaneously mix the rava mixture with your hands.
• Continue pouring milk until you are able to make balls of the mix.
• Make balls out of the mix.

Points to Note

• Make sure that while you roast rava it does not get burnt. 
• You can also powder the rava after roasting and continue the steps explained above.