Rava Laduu (or Rava Ladoo) is an easy and fail-proof Diwali sweet recipe for last-minute people like me. They are ready in under 30 minutes and use basic ingredients like rava or semolina, ghee, and sugar.
I was invited to two homes this Diwali and wanted to take along some homemade Diwali sweets with me. A quick call to Amma and we agreed on this easy Rava Laddu recipe for me to give a shot. I had all the ingredients already in hand so that made the job even easier.
Making traditional sweets for Diwali is a joy in itself and admittedly I have been very slack with it in the past few years. I am hoping to change that going forward and if you are like me, this rava laddu is a good way to start your Diwali sweet-making journey.
What is Rava Laddu Made Of?
The basic ingredients in rava laddu are sooji, rava, or semolina. Ghee and sugar are integral additions too and since rava doesn’t have a strong flavour of its own, some green cardamom powder too. Any other additions are entirely up to us. I love adding cashew nuts, coconut, and raisins. Hear me out on the raisins. I know generally people don’t like biting into them in desserts but in a rava laddu, the tanginess and sharp sweetness works really well. Try it!
Do we need to add Coconut to Rava Laddu?
Coconut is an optional ingredient in rava laddu. I personally love it because I like coconut in general, and also in this rava laddu recipe, it adds more softness and texture. Do note that rava laddu with coconut will have a lower shelf life so I recommend making smaller batches or refrigerating them.
Is Rava Laddu gluten free?
Rava which is the main ingredient in rava laddu is made by grinding the husk of durum wheat. It’s high in fibre and other nutrients but rava is not gluten free so please avoid this dessert if you have gluten intolerance.
You may also like this coconut sesame ladoo recipe, 15-min coconut ladoo recipe, date and nut laddu, and maladu recipe.
Rava Laddu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup rava, sooji, semolina the fine kind
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons raisins optional
- 1/2 cup grated coconut thawed if using frozen
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 pinch cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cashew nuts and raisins
- Grind the coconut and cardamom powder together. This is an optional step but I did it since my grated coconut was very coarse and I was worried it won’t be easy to make the laddus into balls.
- Add the coconut-cardamom mixture to the roasting nuts and raisins.
- Mix once and add the rava next.
- Fry this mixture for 2-3 minutes and then add the sugar. Since my sugar was very fine, I didn’t powder it but you can do so if you wish.
- Continue to roast the rava mixture until the colour changes to a light brown. Don’t let it sit and walk away or the rava will start toasting and turning a golden brown on one side. The process of roasting the rava took me about 5-6 mins.
- Once the rava is browned lightly, turn off the flame and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously as you do so.If you are a food blogger, it’s ok to stop mixing and take a quick picture before you continue, but don’t let it sit for too long without stirring.
- Once all the milk is added, continue to mix until the ladoo mixture comes together. It will be quite moist and will stick around your ladle.
- Remove from heat.
- When the rava laddu mixture is warm enough to handle, make into lemon-sized balls and gently set aside. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle water or milk as you shape the laddu
- Done! As I said, the entire process of making rava laddu took me no longer than 20 minutes and I got 12 medium-sized ladoos from this quantity.
Notes
- It’s important to not leave the pan unattended while making the rava laddu mixture
- Keep low the entire time you are making the laddu. Rava, especially, is delicate and can burn or turn darker quickly which will result in uneven tasting laddu
- Grease your palms with ghee while shaping the laddu
- Avoid coconut and add a tad more milk if you want a coconut-free rava laddu
- Cashew nuts and raisins are optional but really add to the flavour and texture
- Add cardamom powder to your taste. I add a generous pinch for this quantity
- Another variation I learned from Vahchef’s rava laddu recipe is to roast each ingredient separately in little ghee and then combine in the end to shape the rava laddu
- You can void milk too and replace with water to increase shelf life. This will result in slightly harder laddus and adding milk makes them softer and tastier.
Step by Step Images to Make Rava Laddu
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cashew nuts and raisins. IMPORTANT – keep the flame low throughout the process of making rava laddu.
Grind the coconut and cardamom together. This is an optional step but I did it since my grated coconut was very coarse and I was worried it won’t be easy to shape the laddus if I didn’t find grind the coconut.
Add the coconut-cardamom mixture to the roasting nuts and raisins.
Mix everything well to combine and add the rava or semolina
Fry this mixture for 2-3 mins and then add the sugar.
Continue to roast the rava mixture until the colour changes to a light brown. Use very low heat. This took me about 5-6 mins.
Once the rava is browned lightly and turns aromatic, turn off the heat and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously as you do so.
Once all the milk is added, continue to mix until the laddu mixture comes together. It will be quite moist and will stick around your ladle.
When the rava laddu mixture is warm enough to handle, make into lemon-sized balls and gently set aside. If the mixture is too dry, sprinkle water or milk as you shape the laddu.
All done! Enjoy your rava laddu and share with friends this Diwali, or any time, really.
This post is from the archives of 2012, updated and reposted in 2023.
Hi
Can i use stevia or splenda instead of sugar?
Thanks
Jayshree
i think the taste will be compromised but sure, just make sure to scale down because stevia is way sweeter than regular sugar in same quantities
OMG!! It’s mouth watering and willing to have it soon. Good Indian food recipes with perfect direction how to make it showed along with rava laddo making pictures. :). Thank You!
I made rava laddu today and it came out very well.This is my first sweet preparation in my life.And your recipe is PERFECT.Thanks a lot for the recipe…Keep uploading .I am a big fan of your recipes.Have tried many veg dishes too.
thank you so much leela, so lovely to hear
Ladoos look yummy. Will surely give it a try. I wanted to know if I add milk what is the shelf life approximately?
thanks sharon, if using milk in the ladoos i recommend refrigerating and consuming within 3-4 days
Although I am somewhat a novice with preparing mithai I did mabage to prepare a batch of perfect laddu that passed the ultimate test as my daughters kept asking for more. Thanks for the lovely recipe Nags.
aww thank you aparna. i am a novice myself so anything i have made well should turn out ok 🙂
Hi, Great recipe and lovely pics! I have one question – is it ok to use dry coconut instead of the fresh one? I don’t have it available right now & wanted to make the laddus. If so, how will it change the recipe? Please reply.Thanks!
you can try using dessiccated coconut. add 3/4 of the amount mentioned here.