Justin cooked a curry for visitors between Christmas & New Year. We figured it would be the ideal flavour contrast to all the other seasonal fayre – and judging by the crowds we’ve noticed in our local curry house this week, we weren’t alone!! I usually make some type of cake for dessert, but following a hearty curry that option would likely prove too filling.

Dainty Indian sweets would be the perfect end to the meal. I chose to make coconut ladoo (or laddu) because we already had all 3 ingredients in our store cupboard. 

It’s the flavour of the pungent ground cardamom which gives this sweet its Indian taste.

There are other kinds made with chickpea flour or semolina instead of coconut and fried in ghee. They are also be made with the addition of dried fruit and/or nuts such as pistachios or cashews.

They’re make a great little alternative present to the more traditional box of chocolates.

Coconut ladoo

A treat often served at celebratory events such as the Hindu festival of Diwali

Print recipe Pin recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 30 balls

Ingredients

  

• 1 tin 397g condensed milk
• 250 g dessicated coconut
• 5 cardamom pods

Instructions

 

• Remove the cardamom seeds from their papery outer shell and grind finely using a pestle & mortar
• In a large saucepan add 220g of the dessicated coconut, condensed milk and powdered cardamom
• Heat over a medium flame stirring constantly until just before the mixture begins to colour (about 5 minutes) and most of the liquid has evaporated
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly before forming into balls the size of marbles using the palms of your hands
• Roll the balls in the reserved 30g of dessicated coconut

Keyword coconut, ladoo, sweets