Rava Ladoo (Vegan)
These healthy and plant-based rava (cream of wheat) ladoos are super easy to make and perfect for Indian festivals like Diwali or Dussehra.
Rava Ladoo is an Indian sweet prepared using roasted rava (cream of wheat), sugar, and nuts. Traditionally, rava ladoos are made using Ghee (Clarified Butter) and shaped into small balls. In my healthy and vegan version, I use coconut oil along with nuts and spices. Rava Ladoos are often served as part of festive or religious occasions and are also offered as Prasad after prayers. They are enjoyed at festivals like Diwali and Holi. They also make a perfect bite-size snack, for that afternoon picker-upper with a cup of hot tea.
So what exactly is Rava?
Rava, semolina, or cream of wheat, as you probably know it, is the coarsely purified wheat middlings of durum wheat. Rava is a good source of protein, and carbs and is low in fat and calorie content. When roasted, rava gives out a mild and earthy aroma.
Rava, sometimes called rawa, is best known as an ingredient in rava laddoo, a popular Indian sweet that is prepared at festivals like Diwali. Sooji ka halwa is another Indian-inspired dessert that has a pudding-like texture. Rawa is used to make idlis, rava dosa, and uttapam, common foods in South India.
Why am I in love with these ladoos?
✓a healthy dessert or snack and it’s vegan!
✓bite-size portions
✓ You can make it ahead of time- they stay good on the kitchen counter for up to a week.
✓they freeze well, so make a big batch
✓perfect crowd pleaser for all ages and any occasion
Here are a few tips:
• roast the rava properly- the most crucial step. You know that the rawa is roasted when you can smell the earthy aroma and also the color of the rawa will change from white to light brown.
• if you have difficulty in shaping the ladoo, cover and refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes, so that the mixture firms up before you make balls out of it.
• rawa ladoo stays fresh for up to one week at room temperature
• rava ladoo freeze well, so make a big batch
These are my husband’s favorite ladoos and so I make these for him every Diwali. My favorite are besan ladoo and I make those too!
Rava Ladoo (Vegan)
Ingredients
Sugar Syrup:
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 strands of saffron
Rava
- 1 cup semolina flour or fine semolina
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almonds (chopped)
- 1/4 cup pistachios (chopped)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Sugar syrup:
- In a small pot over medium heat, add coconut sugar, water, ground cardamom, and saffron, mixing until it comes together and there are no clumps.
Semolina:
- In a large pan, dry roast the semolina on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes until it gets fragrant.
- Add the coconut flour, coconut oil, almonds, pistachios, and salt to the pan, mixing well and roasting it for 2 minutes.
- Add the prepared sugar syrup to the large pan and mix well to form a lumpy mixture. Take it off the heat.
- To make ladoo: Form 1-inch balls with your hands, adding a little water if the mixture is too crumbly.
