The papaya which I had bought was quite huge. So yesterday, I decided to have a fruit breakfast but then I was hardly half-way through with the big chunks of papaya and I couldn’t get to finish it. The fruit looked too good to keep away for another day and once refrigerated it would loose its freshness, so instead of a smoothie, I ventured into making ladoos with it. Since something firm had to bind the papaya, I used ragi flour (finger millet flour). This unique sweet dish was a success.
As I was stirring the mixture, my daughter kept re-visiting the kitchen time and again just to draw in the wonderful aroma that was filling the air. The dollop of butter used in the recipe gives the sweet a glazy sheen. This home-made sweet dish, unlike other calorie sweet dishes, has plenty of nutrition for your family. These ladoos can be savoured hot or cold. I have garnished the ladoos (on top) with roasted cashew nuts. Dry fruits like cashew nuts, raisins, almonds (finely chopped) can also be added in the preparation before the balls/ladoos are formed. The crux of this recipe is in the stirring.
Recipe for Spongy and delicious ragi-papaya ladoos!
Ingredients
- 1cup ragi powder
- 2 tbsp soya powder
- ¼ kg papaya(ripened fruit) made into a paste in a blender
- ¾ litre milk
- ¼ kg jaggery
- 1 tbsp- dry roasted and coarsely ground peanuts
- Few cashew nuts(roasted)
- 1 tbsp freshly made butter(or use ghee/margarine)
Method
- Into a thick bottom vessel add jaggery, papaya paste, ragi powder, soya powder, coarsely ground peanuts and milk. Let it soak for 5 minutes.
- Stir and check if the contents are well soaked. At this stage, the jaggery does not necessarily have to melt. Put it on a medium flame and keep stirring.
- The jaggery will slowly melt and the consistency will be more fluid as it heats up. Lower flame if required.
- Keep stirring and ensure that the contents do not stick to the bottom.
- When the contents start to thicken add the butter. Stir till the melted butter starts to separate.
- Cool it to room temperature this will allow to form medium size balls.
- Roast the cashew nuts and place it on each ladoo.
- Serve hot or cold (It will be more firm when refrigerated).
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 18 ladoos