Rava Urundai /Ladoos - Indian Cooking Challenge

Making these rava urundai's took me down the memory lane to the diwali days when we were kids.My mom used to make these every year during diwali, but the method used was totally different from this recipe.As Srivalli said its the other method by grinding the rava and sugar together. My mom grinds the rava in the mill few ays before diwali, and on the night before diwali she makes everything ready for us kids to make the balls.Its very difficult to make the balls with powder mixed with hot ghee.But we used to have fun while doing it.

After marriage I tried making rava urundai for a diwali get together and it turned out a disaster, more like 'kesari balls', you know what I mean :).

So making this sweet was really a challenge to me eventhough the recipe sounds so simple.

But it turned out great and I liked it.I omitted raisins and added some almond flakes along with less cashews. you may be wondering about the colour, but I dindt add any colours.

The semolina that I get in the local retail retail store over here is yellow in colour.

I made 12 medium sized urundai/ladoos out of this recipe

Recipe and method as given by Srivalli for ICC

Makes - 10 Laddoos of normal size

Rava / Semolina - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 25 gms

Milk - 25 ml

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Cashew nuts - 10 whole nuts

Raisins - 10 nos

Grated fresh coconut - 25 gms

Method to prepare:

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins. Once the raisins balloon up, remove.

Then roast the grated coconut. Remove once done. Keep all these aside.Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.

In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder.

Then add the sugar. Mix well.Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl.

Check if you are able to gather as balls. When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2 mins.

Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins. Then immediately make balls or laddoos.

Notes:While roasting the Rava, make sure you have the flames in sim, else there is a chance of the rava getting over roasted.Its enough to add only the required amount of milk to get you form balls.

Depending on the rava and the sugar at times we may not use all the 25 gmsSince we add milk, its best to consume within 5 days of making them.

If you store them in fridge, you can have them for a week.The other version followed isThe rava after being roasted can be powdered using a blender. Add sugar to this and make a powder. Add a little ghee to this mixture and make small balls out of this.

Expecting more such recipes in the upcoming "Indian Cooking Challenge"

Pineapple Kesari

Kesari is traditionally one of the quick fix sweets in south Indian kitchen. Whenever there are some unexpected guests in our house we would expect kesari and bajji for our snack at teatime. I remember one time when my mom desperately wanted to make some Kesari for our guests and she ran out of elaichi. She wanted me to go to the store, when I was making huge money in my trade game with my cousins.I was not ready and I asked my mom " why not make it without elakkai" she replied that "Its not kesari if there is no ellaikai its just rava kanji".Even then I didnt go to the store but my cousin did ,so thats another story. So here is another recipe which absorbs the exotic flavour of Cardamom for the "Think Spice Event".Its the good old Kesari made with Rava/sooji/semolina, but this time I added some chopped pineapple to give it a twist.It turned out really fruity.

Ingredients:

1 cup coarse Sooji/Rava/Semolina

1 can chopped Pineapple

1/2 cup Sugar

2 pods Elaichi

a pinch of salt

a pinch of lemon yellow food colour(op)

3 tblsp ghee

1tblsp cahews

Method:

Add 1 tblsp of ghee in a hot pan.Fry the Rava in it till golden.Remove and keep aside.

Add 1 tblsp of ghee in the pan and add the cashews.Fry till golden brown, keep aside.

Add 2 cups of water in the same pan, add the elaichi and the food colour and let it boil.

Reduce the flame ,add the Rava little by little by stirring well so that no lumps are formed.

When it reaches a semi solid consistency add the sugar and chopped pineapple , stir well.

Add the remaining ghee and the cashews and stir well. The amount of ghee is purely up to the individuals taste. Serve warm

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