coconut laddoo / sweet coconut balls

Does cooking needs some special skills ? Or is it just a matter of personal taste and choices, preferences ? Or do you believe that any one can cook ? just any one…???

If you have watched Ratatouille (the movie), you must have known, what and who am I referring to , the famous French chef Gusteau who believes that “anyone can cook” , just you need right aptitude for it.

Cooking is an art, and that involves not only the process of cooking itself, but also picking up the right ingredient, understanding the cuisine or dish, accurate timings, presentation, plating, arranging the dinner tables to everything that constitutes a perfect meal, transforming the simplest one to extra-ordinary, leaving the diners amused and hungry for more…and that comes from experiences.

And if you are the one, who believe or appreciate that ” simplicity is the best ” and it has its own charm and appeal, then you must try this coconut sweet balls which are fairly simple and just anyone can make / cook it. Believe me…just anyone !!!

Sometimes, such simple things in life brings more joy than the much celebrated one.

This has no recipe at all, people makes these as per their taste and preferences, some with jaggery, ask any Bong, they will vouch for their beloved “narkel er naadu” others with sugar, condensed milk to give these laddoos extra richness in taste. No matters, what you add, they always taste best. This is absolutely hassle free and you can make these in advance for Diwali or for any festival or puja.

Ingredients:

Coconut : 1 or 2 to make 15-20 balls / laddoos

Green cardamom : 2-3 shelled

Sugar : 1 cup or according to taste

Milk (not skimmed) is optional : 1 litre or 4 cups

Method :

Scrape the coconut with the help of coconut grater. The freshly grated coconut has its own rich taste and flavor, which you wont find in the canned or packed one, sometimes enhanced by the artificial sweetener.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan and add the grated coconut slowly in the pan after 2-3 boils.

When the coconut absorbs much of the milk, add the sugar and cardamoms. The amount of sugar needed also depends upon the sweetness of the coconut, so always check the coconut, before adding the sugar.

Stir on a low heat, till they starts collecting and forms a lump. Cool slightly, say for 5-10 minutes and then starts making the laddoos or balls.

Serve the coconut laddoo or sweet balls, warm or at room temperature.

Vegans can skip the milk part. For them, in a non stick pan just add the sugar and coconut together, stir on a low heat, till they become lumpy. It will take around 20 -30 minutes. Cool slightly before making balls out of it.

You can refrigerate these coconut laddoos up to two week, if stored in air tight container. Actually it is hard to keep these laddoos for long, as they vanish quickly…sometimes in a same day. 🙂

This simple and tasty coconut laddoos or the sweet balls will be showcased in this months event : Healing foods which is themed around this wonderful fruit : coconut and if you have not yet send me the recipes, then please hurry up , as two more weeks to go !!!