Ragi laddoo
Finger millet jaggery balls
Toasty finger-millet balls with jaggery, ghee and sesame
In Karnataka, ragi (finger millet) is everyday food, and mothers roll ragi laddoos to keep in a tin for after-school snacks and school sports days, because they are filling and keep well. The flour is roasted in ghee until it smells like toasted biscuits, then bound with melted jaggery and sesame into dark, fudgy balls. Jaggery is still sugar, so these are a treat, kept small. They contain milk (ghee) and sesame. Chef's tip: roast the flour slowly until it darkens a shade and smells nutty; under-roasted ragi tastes raw and floury.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz gheemelted
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 4 oz jaggerygrated
- 3 tbsp water
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toast 2 tbsp white sesame seeds in a dry heavy pan over a low heat for 2 minutes, until golden and starting to pop. Tip into a bowl.
2 minStep 2: In the same pan, warm two-thirds of 1 ½ oz ghee, add 7 oz ragi (finger millet) flour and roast over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–12 minutes, until it smells nutty and darkens slightly. Add to the sesame with ½ tsp ground cardamom.
12 minStep 3: Heat 4 oz jaggery with 3 tbsp water over a low heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, just until it melts into a smooth syrup. Don't boil it to a hard stage, the common mistake that makes rock-hard laddoos. Strain it if there is grit.
3 minStep 4: Pour the warm syrup and the rest of ⅝ oz ghee over the flour and mix with a spoon until evenly moist, like damp sand that holds together when squeezed.
Step 5: While still warm, take tablespoons of the mix and press firmly into 24 small balls. If it gets too dry to hold, warm it for a few seconds or add a teaspoon of warm ghee.
Step 6: Cool completely, then keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ragi laddoo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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