Ingredients
Roast
- 2 cups (320g) fine sooji (semolina)
- ½ cup (110g) ghee
Mix-ins
- 2 tbsp cashews, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp raisins
- ¼ cup (25g) desiccated coconut (optional but traditional)
Flavoring
- ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
Binding
- 2–4 tbsp warm milk, added as needed
Instructions
Fry the nuts
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Add cashews and fry, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until light golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add raisins to the same ghee and fry 30 seconds until they puff up. Remove and set aside.
Roast
- Add sooji to the remaining ghee in the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Stir continuously for 10–12 minutes until the sooji turns a uniform golden color and smells roasted and nutty. Don't rush this on higher heat — the outside grains will color before the inside ones roast through.
- If using coconut, add it now and stir 2 more minutes until it's lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Remove from heat. Spread onto a plate and let cool for 5–7 minutes.
Mix
- Transfer the cooled sooji to a large bowl.
- Add powdered sugar, cardamom, fried cashews, and raisins. Mix well until evenly combined.
- Add warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until the mixture holds together when you press a pinch firmly between your fingers. You may need anywhere from 2 to 4 tablespoons depending on your sooji and the humidity. Stop as soon as it holds — too much milk makes the laddoos dense.
Shape
- Pinch off portions and roll firmly between your palms into balls. Use more pressure than you would for besan laddoo — the mixture needs it.
- Shape all the laddoos promptly. The mixture firms up as it cools, and cold rava laddoo mixture is harder to shape without cracking.
- Set on a plate and leave undisturbed for 20–30 minutes to fully firm up.
Storage
- Room temperature: Airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Fridge: Up to 3 weeks. Bring to room temperature before eating — they taste better at room temp.
Variations
- Plain version: Skip the coconut for a more straightforward flavor that lets the roasted sooji come through cleanly.
- Saffron-milk binding: Dissolve a pinch of saffron in the warm milk before adding. Adds color and a mild floral aroma.
- Richer texture: Increase ghee by 2 tbsp for a more buttery result that's easier to shape and slightly more indulgent.
Notes
- Fine sooji gives a smoother laddoo. Coarse sooji is grainier — not wrong, just different. Both work.
- The warm milk is a binder, not a flavoring. Add it gradually and stop early — it's much harder to fix an over-wet mixture than an under-wet one.
- These taste noticeably better the day after they're made. The flavors settle and the texture evens out overnight.
- See also: Sooji Halwa for the wet-cooked, pudding version using the same base ingredients.
Added Oct 6, 2026 · Updated Oct 6, 2026