I made these as an offering to Lord Ganesha on occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. In our family even though the celebrations didn’t look as elaborate as in other parts of India, a small pooja was conducted and my grandmother offered homemade ladoos, lighted a lamp and chanted during this time of the year. Ladoo is one of the most popular sphere shaped mithai (sweet ) made in the indian subcontinent. Ladoos are made using all sorts of ingredients from flours, grains, nuts, milk solids(mawa) to even vegetables like carrots. In additions, there are essential ingredients like ghee, sugar and flavorings (like green cardamom, saffron or rose) that go in. These mango ladoo are made with mango pulp, rava/suji/sooji (fine semolina), crumbled mawa, powdered sugar and ghee. These are flavored with saffron and fresh ground green cardamom powder. These ladoos come together pretty quickly in about 30 minutes or so. This recipe is inspired by this another one from a few years back, however the mango ladoo recipe one I am sharing in this post is without using coconut or condensed milk.
About the Recipe
When mangoes are in season, I recommend that you make these ladoos using fresh mango puree, however since the mango season is already over, I used canned mango puree today and it worked beautifully. Secondly, I used mawa in making these mango ladoo. However, you can use equal quantity of milk powder and the recipe will work. The recipe is pretty straightforward and calls for very few ingredients, you can easily find the things in indian and/or american stores. These mango ladoos are
Quick and easy to make. Soft and melt in the mouth - kids will love them. Perfect last minute treat for festivals or celebrations. Can be easily made nut free (skip the nuts on top) Bursting with mango flavor.
Ingredients
Sooji (Fine Semolina)- For mithai or desserts I always recommend using fine semolina because it preserves the melt in the mouth texture of the sweets. Fine sooji is easily available in indian stores. Mango Pulp - Canned or fresh mango pulp, any kind will work. If you are making mango pulp at home, make sure to strain it after grinding to get rid of any strings. Mawa - Mawa is solidified milk made by slowing cooking milk for hours. I use both store bought and homemade depending on what’s easier for me that day. If you wish, you can use whole milk powder (unsweetened) in this recipe. Other Ingredients - Powdered Sugar, Ghee, Any flavors you like.
How to Make Mango Ladoo (Step by Step Pictures)
In a 10 inch pan (I prefer to use non stick), melt the ghee and add semolina to it. Toast the semolina for 8-10 minutes on low heat, stirring continuously. You dont want the color of semolina to change but it should not remain raw either.
Tip:- I play on the safe side and use a non stick pan, however you can use cast iron pan for making these. Any kind of kadai that you use in your kitchen for sweet making is fine to use too.
Once toasted, add the mango pulp and powdered sugar. Stir. You will see that in 1-3 minutes, the semolina will absorb the moisture and the consistency will be soft but not runny. Add the crumbled or grated mawa next and thoroughly mix together everything until you don’t see any white. Also add the cardamon and saffron strands.
Note :- To make green cardamom powder, simply take out the seeds from pods and crush using mortar-pestle.
Cook the ladoo mixture for about 5-8 minutes on low heat until you are able to fold it over itself and it starts clumping around the spoon. Tip:- Don’t overcook else the ladoos will become chewy. Transfer the ladmixture to a plate and let cool till its okay to touch. You can refrigerate it as well for rolling ladoos later. If needed, smear some ghee on your hands and roll between palms to form ball shaped ladoos. you can make as big or little as you wish. Done!
To Use Milk Powder
If you want to make mango ladoo with milk powder, instead of mawa, simply use equal quantity of milk powder along with 3-4 tablespoons of milk. it will work beautifully. Note - Use whole milk powder from brands like Nido or Deep Foods. Milk powder used for making mithai is completely different from tea/coffee milk whitener.
Storing Mango Ladoos
You can store mango ladoos for 1 week, refrigerated. These are best enjoyed if you take them out of the fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving.
Tips for Perfect Ladoo
A perfect ladoo holds its round shape at room temperature (without flattening at the bottom) and is melt in the mouth to bite into. Don’t feel tempted to add a lot of ghee else ladoo will not hold shape. Since you want the color of the mango to shine, take care while roasting the semolina so that it does change color. Cook the ladoo mix on low heat, always. If you making mango pulp at home, do not add water or milk while doing so. Thickish pulp is best to use. Take care to cook the mixture just about it starts leaving sides of pan and starts clumping around the spoon, if you cook too much, the ladoos will become chewy and sticky.
