Indian coconut ladoo

Indian coconut Ladoo is soft, flavourful and sweet, it tastes like caramelized coconut ice-cream. Quite similar to Nigerian Coconut candy, but with the addition of milk, it is delectable to the max. It is normally made with freshly grated coconut and is soft but not crumbly.

Indian cuisine is very rich and diverse, their range of sweets, snacks and side dishes always amaze me. During my A’levels studies, I had an Indian form master, Mr Ahmed, who was a very jovial man. Towards the end of our year with him, he invited the class over to his house for a farewell get-together. When we got there, his wife had prepared such an array of snacks and sweets, we were all touched and astonished. Touched by the kind gesture and astonished at the variety that was set before us. That was my second major encounter with Indian food and I was bought over.

So I’d just finished extracting coconut milk from fresh whole coconuts for use in my exquisite Nigerian coconut rice and had the leftover chaff in the sieve.

This particular chaff still had some milk in it, so I decided to go Indian with it and make Indian Coconut Ladoo.

Optional:

• You can insert a nut or a bit of fruit in the middle.
• Food colouring can be added to Indian Coconut Ladoo before moulding for a more exciting presentation.
• It can also be rolled in grated coconut after moulding.

To make Indian Coconut Ladoo:

1 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
2 cups warm milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder or 4-5 pieces whole or crushed.(see below for alternatives)
some nuts or fruits

Put warm milk and sugar in a blender and mix on high speed till well blended.

Put the grated coconut in a saucepan or frying pan, add the milk/sugar mix.

Add the cardamom.

Stir and set over medium-high flame.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Stir from time to time, until it thickens and the liquid has almost all evaporated.

Add colouring if using. Stir continuously until it starts leaving the sides of the pan.

Empty the hot Ladoo into a tray, spread it out and leave to cool.

When cool, rub some ghee or vegetable oil on your hand, take a bit of the Indian Coconut Ladoo, and mould into a ball. Put in a plate, or roll in grated coconut.

If you are using nuts, take a bit of ladoo, mould into a ball, make a hole with your thumb and insert fruit or nuts. Cover and roll again.

Serve with a mango lassi.

Note:

• You can use other flavourings in place of cardamom e.g lemon or orange rind (grated or whole. If whole, removed before moulding), allspice, lemon grass, scent leaf, mint or vanilla.
• Usually, the brown part of the coconut flesh is peeled off to make ladoo, but I don’t bother. The brown bits actually give it character, or maybe I am just too lazy to bother.
• Indian Coconut Ladoo is normally made with freshly grated coconut and not the chaff, I just wanted to repurpose this chaff. Thrifty me!
• Try coating it with chocolate syrup, delicious.

If you enjoyed my Indian coconut ladoo, you will also enjoy my Funnel cake, Sugar cookies, Hush puppies, coxinha, Brazilian chicken fritters and Tigernut energy balls.

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