Coconut Rava Ladoo – Coconut Semolina Balls !
As I am re-sharing vegan versions of old recipes, today’s dessert will leave you in awe over the fact that Indian desserts do not need ghee after all.  I cannot time this recipe any better because it is one the popular recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi festival in India. And I am preparing Coconut Rava Ladoo or Semolina Coconut balls to celebrate this festival.
I had mentioned last time that one bite of this wonderful dessert will make you an instant fan. That was not an understatement, however, the same recipe without ghee but with all the essential elements of taste is one step better than the original.
Coconut Rava Ladoo or Semolina Coconut balls is one of the common and favorite dessert in India. It is prepared with just the right mix of rava (a.k.a semolina), coconut flakes, nuts, sugar, and a non-dairy binder ingredient. The fragrance from roasted rava and the roasted nut is reminiscent of festivals in India. With a prep time of fewer than 15 minutes and simple ingredients, it is one of the easiest desserts you can make. Better yet, it is a kids favorite. Usually, I add nuts like cashews or pistachios to the mix, but since I had a few requests for a dessert without nuts, I prepared this recipe without any nuts.
Finding a replacement for ghee was not that hard, but what was tricky is the timing for adding the ingredients. The sugar syrup that I was preparing needs to have the right consistency when I mix in shredded coconut. Adding the coconuts too early or too late makes it difficult to bind them into bite size rounds. Check my step by step video for visual help. Try it today and share your experience. You can leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. If you prefer getting my recipes directly to your inbox, just hit the subscribe button at the right….
Coconut Rava Ladoo – Coconut Semolina Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rava
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp organic sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp crushed elaichi/ cardamom
- 2 tbsp soy milk
Instructions
- Sauté the Rava over medium heat until it turns golden brown (Approximately 10 mins) and set aside.
- In a medium size pan, dissolve the organic sugar in water over medium heat.
- As the syrup thickens to a string consistency, add the shredded coconut and crushed elaichi and mix well.
- Add soy milk to the mixture.
- Add the roasted rava to the sugar syrup and mix well.
- Remove the pan off the heat and prepare bite sized balls.
Rava Coconut  Ladoo is ready! Store it in an airtight canister for up to a week.
Love these recipes which don’t require too many ingredients and are simple to make. Lovely recipe.
Yes true! Thank you ?
wow! These ladoos are one of my favorites. And you have made justice to them. They look so inviting.
Thank you:)
How perfect these babies look. Perfect for festivities Uma.
Thank you!
One of our family’s favorite..I also made this recently but with no coconut..Your vegan version looks yummy
Thank you ?
Laddoos are my favorite.And these looks super delicious.And the recipe is so simple that I am tempted to make some bery soon.
Thank you! I am sure you will like this 🙂
Lovely ones. Good to see the vegan version here.
Thank you Jayashree:)
I bet these tastes must divine!
Thank you! Yes it is:)
Loved your ladoo recipe.. it’s has minimal ingredients and looks scumpticous too!
Thank you Soniya!
using soy milk is a great option. Love the fact that you are making all the classic Indian dishes as VEGAN. Kudos to your effort.
Thank you! That’s my message to world!
Hi Uma, thanks for sharing this recipe!
One question – in the video you used olive oil to roast the rava but in the ingredients there is no metion of oil. Could you pls update the quantity of oil to be used. Much thanks!
Hi Preethi. Thank you for letting me know. Sometimes recipe plugins act crazy. I used 2 tbsp olive oil. I will update that soon. Happy Cooking:)
Thanks for the response!