Jun 23, 2010

Coconut Milk & Hazelnuts Laddu

Sometimes the routine of your day just stops, and time stands still because you have to be focused on one thing only. Those were our last few days when my son was very sick, and that is why my last post got so delayed.

With a terribly humid and hot weather outside, and a high fevered boy by my side, I feel I should have released this week a recipe for granita or popsicles... but I took these photos last week and I really wanted to share this recipe for those little Indian sweats called Laddu.

I got acquainted with Laddu thanks to Niv, my brother in law, who made them for me for my last birthday. He mixed roasted semolina flour, coconut, sugar, nuts and a bit of milk to make sugary and sandy balls, beautifully wrapped in a clear bowl. It’s such a wonderful thought to make or bake something for someone’s birthday.

I have never tasted Laddu before, and was immediately hooked by the chance to experiment with it and mix it with different tastes and ingredients. It is very easy to make, and you can easily change the kind of flour, nuts or amount of sugar in the recipe. The secret, as Niv pointed out, is to make the Laddu with different textures inside. I took his recipe and added white chocolate, petit beurre biscuits and coconut milk for extra coconut flavor. Mine turned out less sandy and a bit more wet than the original version, and the consistency quite dense and full of nutty texture from the crushed hazelnuts and almonds. I love the combination of coconut and white chocolate, which was kind of my excuse for making these in the first place.

I found out that Laddus are considered a festive treat at celebrations of births and weddings, and that Lord Ganesh, the Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, is a huge fan! Make these for any celebration, you can also just serve one at a coffee break or with a cup of milk, and your sugar cravings are fulfilled for the day...


Coconut Milk & Hazelnuts Laddu

make about 40 (3 cm in diameter) laddus

100 gr. whole hazelnuts, roasted and skinned
80 gr. whole almonds, roasted
100 gr. petit beurre biscuits
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 tsp cinnamon
160 gr. white chocolate
200 ml. coconut milk
1 1/2 cups semolina

coconut & finely chopped hazelnuts for coating

In a magimix pulse together the hazelnuts and almonds until they are coarsely chopped.

Coarsely chop the petit beurre biscuits.

In a large bowl mix together the hazelnuts, almonds, biscuits, sugar, coconut and cinnamon.

Put the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Put the coconut milk in a small saucepan and heat to a near boil. Remove from heat and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, and then whisk to make a smooth ganache. Set aside.

In a large pan over a low heat roast the semolina while mixing it with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, or until the semolina is a bit golden in color. Remove from heat, and add the nuts mixture to the pan.

Pour the white chocolate ganache inside and mix to combine with a wooden spoon.

While still hot form 3 cm balls to make about 40 laddus.

Coat the balls in coconut and finely chopped hazelnuts.

Save the laddus in the refrigerator, but serve them on room temperature.

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