Diwali has always been a special festival growing up in my family… in fact for most Indian families. It’s the Festival of Lights, where we celebrate faith and hope and wish that everyone has a bright future, happiness and prosperity in their lives.
Everywhere you look, Diwali takes over with lights and colors. Rangoli designs are a prominent component of Diwali, with the idea that it brings strength, good luck and genorosity. Keeping in mind that very foundation of colors and brightness, I decided to bring the spirit of rangoli to my mithai (sweets) for Diwali this year.
Coconut ladoos are very popular in Indian and the best part is, they are very easy to make. The basis of each ladoo was kept the same with the main ingredients being coconut, almond flour/ground almonds, and condensed milk. The ratios vary based on the flavor and additions of the ladoo.
Here are the flavors I decided to go with:
- Mango (seriously, how could I not include this flavor?!)
- Lavender (because it’s a new obsession and the flavor and colors are so amazing!)
- Rose (the colors, the fragrance, and the taste are so pretty, it makes me feel like a princess when I’m eating this!)
- Mojito (…..yep. No alcohol, but that hint of lime and mint….YUM!)
- Coconut Almond (the original cannot be overlooked!)
Some tips to make it easier for you when you make this:
- Use a non-stick skillet to make these. It prevents the mixture from sticking and makes the process that much easier.
- Make them vegan! Use vegan condensed milk and coconut oil instead of ghee to roll the balls.
- You can use frozen grated coconut. Just leave it out for a little bit to thaw and bring to room temperature.
- If you don’t want to use or don’t have almond flour available, substitute with the same amount of almonds and grind them up into a flour. It’s an extra step but easy and a perfect swap.
- When buying almond flour, make sure you buy the almond flour and NOT the blend. I almost did that. The blend has a mixture of rice and other ingredients that would change the taste of this dessert.
If you end up making any of these delicious ladoos, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at @bitofspice146. I would love to see your creations!
Rangoli Ladoos
Ingredients
For the Coconut Ladoos:
- 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 c shredded or grated coconut
- 1 1/2 c almond flour
- ghee to roll
For the Lavender Ladoos:
- 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 c shredded or grated coconut
- 1 1/2 c almond flour
- 1 Tbsp Lavender petals, ground to a powder
- 1 tsp purple food color
- ghee to roll
For the Mojito Ladoos:
- 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 c shredded or grated coconut
- 1 1/2 c almond flour
- 3 Tbsp Dried Mint, ground to a powder
- 1 Tbsp Lime sugar
- 1 tsp green food color, optional
- ghee to roll
For the Mango Ladoos:
- 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 c shredded or grated coconut
- 2 c almond flour
- 1/2 c Mango Pulp, or available at your local Indian store
- ghee to roll
For the Rose Ladoos:
- 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 c shredded or grated coconut
- 1 3/4 c almond flour
- 3 Tbsp Rooh Afza
- 1 Tbsp Rose Water
- ghee to roll
Instructions
For the Coconut Almond Ladoos:
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
- Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
- At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.
For the Lavender Ladoos:
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
- Add in the lavender powder and purple food color.
- Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
- At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.
For the Mojito Ladoos:
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
- Add in the mint powder and lime sugar and mix well. Also add in the green food color if using
- Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
- At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.
For the Mango Ladoos:
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
- Add in the mango pulp and mix.
- Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
- At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.
For the Rose Ladoos:
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
- Add in the Rooh Afza and Rose water and mix well.
- Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
- At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.
Notes
*If using frozen shredded coconut, make sure to thaw it out to room temp to avoid extra moisture in the final product.
*If you don't have almond flour, substitute with almonds 1:1 ratio and grind into flour
*To make this VEGAN, use vegan condensed milk and switch the ghee and use coconut oil
