Coconut ladoo
Coconut ladoo’s have been a long time tradition in my family. As a child I hated coconut but even then I didn’t mind eating these sweet, coconut-y ladoo’s. Traditionally these coconut-rava ladoo’s are made with ghee (clarified butter) but with my family being more open to trying vegan alternatives my mother and I decided we would try making these with coconut oil instead of ghee.
Going into this I thought I would absolutely hate it because I’m still not big on coconuts but I’m much better than I used to be as a kid. Even during the cooking process I was put off by the initial coconut smell these gave off. One by one everyone in my family tried them and had all sorts of glowing comments. I thought, “Sure, you say they’re great. But how much coconut oil can you taste?”
After the ladoo’s had a sufficient amount of time to cool down, the overpowering coconut smell faded and I mustered up enough courage to take a bite. Surprising: just as delicious as ever and no overwhelming coconut oil after taste. Obviously there is a strong coconut taste from the actual coconut but it was very pleasing. Especially with the raisins and nuts. So sweet and so tender. I think I might prefer these to the original ghee ones.
If I ever run into someone who hates coconuts but wants to try something coconut-y I will 100% have them try these because if even I can like them, anyone can. I hope everyone - coconut lover or hater - tries this recipe out. They are truly life changing and so easy to make.
