Rava laddu, or Rava ladoo, is a popular sweet enjoyed during the festival season. Also known as Sooji ladoo, this creamy fudge ball is made with roasted semolina, coconut, ghee, milk, and sugar, and is flavored with ground cardamom. Here is an easy 30-minute recipe for a soft and fluffy Rava laddu.
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Every year during the weeks leading up to Diwali, my house smells like a giant Mithai ka Dabba (box of sweets), with the soothing aroma of fresh ghee, cardamom, and saffron 🙂
My friends and I make a variety of sweet and savory treats that we exchange with each other. I make and share besan ladoo and coconut ladoo, among other treats.
Last year, a friend shared rava ladoos with me, and it was love at first bite! She graciously shared her recipe with me as well. Thanks A! I just love the textural contrast in these ladoos. It's the perfect crunch combined with a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Here is my 30-minute, easier take on Rava Laddu, which eliminates the fuss of making a sugar syrup. The result is soft and fluffy ladoos, thanks to my trick of soaking semolina in milk. Let's get started!
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What is Rava Laddu (Ladoo)?
Rava is the local Indian term for semolina in the western and southern parts of India. It is called Suji, or Sooji, in the north. And ladoo, or laddu, refers to fudge balls that are typically made with cooked flour, ghee, sugar, and cardamom. So, Rava Laddu (or Suji ke laddu) is essentially round-shaped semolina fudge.
Rava Laddu is very popular in Maharashtra and the southern parts of India, and is a must-have during festivals like Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi.
These ladoos are made by roasting semolina with freshly shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and raisins. This mixture is then bound together into cute little fudge balls.
In this recipe, I replaced fresh coconut with desiccated coconut, as it's more commonly available. However, you can use fresh coconut if that's what you have on hand. Let's take a glance at the other ingredients.
You may also enjoy: Suji Halwa (Rava Sheera)
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
It only takes a handful of pantry ingredients, along with ghee (Indian clarified butter), to make these rava ladoos. Here are some notes and common substitutions: (Milk is not pictured in this photo, but it is a key ingredient)
- Fine Rava (Sooji): For this main ingredient, look for fine Rava, also labeled as fine suji or Bombay rava, in your local Indian store or online. Be sure to use the finest grind available. If you only have coarse suji, give it a quick spin in your grinder jar.
- Coconut: Just a little bit of desiccated coconut adds a subtle, sweet coconut flavor. I wouldn't recommend using sweetened coconut, as that will affect the taste and texture. Feel free to skip the coconut if you don't like it; in that case, reduce the sugar by a tablespoon.
- Ghee: For best results, use a high-quality ghee, whether homemade or store-bought. Note: For accurate results, measure the ghee after it has melted. If you don't have ghee, substitute it with melted unsalted butter.
- Milk: A key ingredient for moist laddus. Use full-fat or reduced-fat, but I wouldn't recommend fat-free.
- Sugar: Grind the granulated sugar until it becomes a fine powder. You can also use confectioner's sugar, but know that it contains cornstarch, which can result in a drier texture. I don't recommend substituting jaggery here, as that would alter the color and texture of the ladoo.
- Nuts & raisins: Cashews are the traditional choice of nuts in this recipe, but I like to mix up the dry fruits by adding almonds and raisins. Coarsely chop nuts or buy the pre-cut baking pieces.
- Cardamom & Saffron: Both of these aromatics give an amazing floral flavor to the ladoos. For best results, use fresh green cardamom powder made by de-seeding 4-5 green pods and pounding them in a mortar & pestle, or grinding them in a coffee grinder. As for saffron, add that to the warm melted ghee so it can release its aroma and flavor.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Rava Laddu
These delicious Rava coconut ladoo come together in less than 30 minutes, using a simple non-stick skillet. Here are the stepwise photos and instructions:
- Soak semolina in milk: Add milk to a bowl and add sooji. Mix it well and leave it aside to soak for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Sauté nuts & raisins: Heat a non-stick wide skillet or kadai on low flame. Add ghee and let it melt. Add chopped cashews and almonds to the hot ghee. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the raisins and continue sauteing for another minute until the nuts turn light golden and the raisins plump up. Remove promptly.(pic 1)
- Sauté rava/suji: Add rava (sooji) and milk mixture and saute it for 10-12 minutes while stirring continuously. Continue stirring until the semolina appears dry and crumbly. (pic 2)
- Add coconut: Now add desiccated coconut and continue to saute until rava and coconut turn light golden (not brown). (pic 3)
- Combine in a bowl: Transfer the semolina crumbles to a large mixing bowl, and combine with sautéed nuts and raisins. Cool it for about 10 minutes. (pic 4)
How to prevent Rava from burning: Rava (semolina) can go from roasted to burnt in a matter of minutes. To prevent it from burning, always roast at medium-low heat. When it turns a light golden color (not brown), remove it promptly into a cool bowl to stop the cooking.
- Add aromatics & sugar: Add sugar, cardamom, and saffron, and combine everything until the mixture looks like wet sand. (pic 5)
- Test the Ladoo: Take a small portion of the rava mix in your palm and try to bind it together. If the mix doesn't stick together, add a tablespoon of milk until it feels slightly wet. (pic 6)
- Bind ladoo: Take about two heaping tablespoons of the laddu mixture in your palm. Shape into a round ball by closing your fist tightly and using your finger to press the dough together while rotating it. (pic 7)
- Shape into a ball: Bind the ladoo into a round fudge ball. It usually takes 30 seconds per ladoo. Continue until you have made all the ladoos. This quantity makes 10-12 ladoos. (pic 8)
Laddu Making Tip: Don't let the Rava laddu mix cool for too long, otherwise it will harden and won't bind. Wait till it's comfortable enough to handle and start shaping ladoo.
How to Store
Rava ladoos can be made ahead and stored on the counter for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Serving Suggestions
These ladoos are great to enjoy with a cup of Masala chai or Ginger Tea, or you can warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds for a softer, halwa-like consistency.
Aneesha's Recipe Tips
- Use fine rava/suji: For best results, use fine semolina in this recipe. If unavailable, grind the coarse suji in a blender for a few seconds.
- Soak rava: Soaking the semolina gives it time to fluff up, resulting in soft ladoos. Don't skip this step.
- Lightly roast rava on low heat: It is important to roast the rava on low heat to cook off the raw flavor. If the heat is high, it will toast the rava without cooking it. And remember to stop when it turns a light golden in color (not brown).
- Remove promptly: Transfer the sautéed nuts and rava promptly into a cool bowl to stop the cooking.
- Sugar: Grind the granulated sugar in a blender to a fine consistency. You can use confectioner's sugar, but since it contains cornstarch, the ladoos may not be as moist.
- Don't let the mix cool too long: Wait for the mix to cool for 7-10 minutes so it's cool enough to handle. Don't leave it for too long, otherwise the mix will harden and won't bind.
- Ladoo mixture too try? Add a tablespoon of milk to the mixture and try shaping the ladoo again.
- Store in a cool place: Store the ladoo in an airtight container for up to 4 days on the counter or 1 week in the refrigerator. To increase shelf-life to 10 days, substitute the milk with ghee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rava laddu is an Indian sweet fudge made with basic ingredients including semolina (suji), ghee (clarified butter), sugar, coconut (optional in some recipes), nuts, and ground cardamom.
Your mixture is either too dry or too cold for binding. To prevent that, don't let the mixture cool for more than 7-10 minutes. To fix the dryness, add a tablespoon of milk or ghee as needed to bind.
Rava laddu lasts up to 4 days on the counter or 1 week in the refrigerator. If using fresh coconut, use it within 2 days.
According to this recipe, each rava ladoo contains approximately 183 calories.
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📖 Recipe
Rava Laddu Recipe (Rava Ladoo | Sooji Ladoo)
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine rava (suji/sooji) -semolina (see notes for sub)
- 1 cup milk 2% or whole fat
- ¼ cup ghee divided
- 2 tablespoon chopped cashews and almonds (10 cashews + 5 almonds)
- 1 tablespoons raisins (10-12 raisins)
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut see notes for sub
- ½ cup granulated sugar see notes for sub
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds, ground (4-5 pods)
Instructions
- Soak semolina in milk: Add milk to a bowl and add sooji. Mix it well and leave it aside to soak for 10 minutes, while you prepare other ingredients.
- Sauté nuts & raisins: Heat a non-stick wide skillet on medium-low heat. Add ghee and chopped cashews and almonds. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the raisins and continue sauteing for another minute until the nuts turn light golden and the raisins plump up. Remove promptly.
- Sauté rava/suji: Add rava (sooji) and milk mixture and saute it for 10-12 minutes on low heat, while stirring continuously. Gently mash the mixture with the back of your spoon or spatula to ensure even cooking. Continue cooking until the semolina appears dry and crumbly again.
- Add coconut: Now add desiccated coconut and continue to saute for another 2 minutes until rava and coconut turn light golden (not brown). Turn off the heat.
- Combine in a bowl: Transfer the semolina crumbles to a large mixing bowl, and combine with sautéed nuts and raisins. Cool it for about 10 minutes.
- Add aromatics & sugar: When the rava feels cool enough to handle, stir in sugar, cardamom, and saffron, and mix thoroughly so the sugar releases some moisture. At this point, the mixture should look like wet sand.
- Test the Ladoo: Take a small portion of the rava mix in your palm and try to bind it together. If it does, you can start making ladoos. If it doesn't stick together, add a tablespoon of milk until it feels slightly wet.
- Bind ladoo: Take about two heaping tablespoons of the rava mix in your palm. Shape into a round ball by closing your fist tightly and using your finger to press the dough together while rotating it.
- Shape into a ball: Bind the ladoo into a round fudge ball. It usually takes 30 seconds per ladoo. Continue until you have made all the ladoos. This quantity makes 10-12 ladoos.
Notes
- Use fine rava/suji: For best results, use fine semolina in this recipe. If unavailable, grind the coarse suji in a blender for a few seconds.
- Soak rava: Soaking the semolina gives it time to fluff up, resulting in soft ladoos. Don't skip this step.
- Lightly roast rava on low heat: It is important to roast the rava on low heat to cook off the raw flavor. If the heat is high, it will toast the rava without cooking it. And remember to stop when it turns a light golden in color (not brown).
- Remove promptly: Transfer the sautéed nuts and rava promptly into a cool bowl to stop the cooking.
- Sugar: Grind the granulated sugar in a blender to a fine consistency. You can use confectioner's sugar, but since it contains cornstarch, the ladoos may not be as moist.
- Don't let the mix cool too long: Wait for the mix to cool for 7-10 minutes so it's cool enough to handle. Don't leave it for too long, otherwise the mix will harden and won't bind.
- Ladoo mixture too try? Add a tablespoon of milk to the mixture and try shaping the ladoo again.
- Store in a cool place: Store the ladoo in an airtight container for up to 4 days on the counter or 1 week in the refrigerator. To increase shelf-life to 10 days, substitute the milk with ghee.
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