Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons ghee and chopped cashews, almonds and raisins. Saute for a minute until nuts turn light golden and raisins plump up. Remove promptly.
Melt ghee and stir in saffron. Add a tablespoon of this ghee to the same skillet and add rava. Saute the rava for 5 minutes while stirring continuously. Now add desiccated coconut and continue to saute for another 2 minutes, or until rava and coconut turn light golden (not brown)
In a large mixing bowl, combine sautéed nuts and rava.
Add the remaining melted ghee with saffron (including saffron strands) and combine well, until the mix looks like wet sand.
Add confectioner's sugar and ground cardamom. Using a spatula, combine till sugar is well incorporated in the rava-coconut mix. Check for taste and add more sugar if needed.
Add 2 tablespoons milk to the mix and stir. 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 another tablespoon of milk until it feels slightly wet.
Take about 2 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.
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.
Lightly roast rava on medium-low heat: It is important to roast the rava on medium-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: Remove the sautéed nuts and rava promptly into a cool bowl to stop the cooking.
Sugar: Use confectioner's sugar, also known as powdered sugar. It helps bind the ladoo. If using granulated sugar, grind it to a fine consistency in a blender.
Don't let the mix cool: Wait for the mix to cool for 2 to 3 minutes so it's comfortable enough to handle. Don't leave it for too long, otherwise the mix will harden and won't bind.
Add milk as needed: Texture is very important for these ladoos to bind well. If ladoo seems too crumbly, add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until your test batch binds and holds well.
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.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.