Diwali and Coconut Ladoo

First of all, I would like to say Happy Diwali! I didn’t host a Diwali party this year, but I still had fun. My friend Manpreet came over, and we made a couple of rangoli. I made a peacock, and Manpreet made a nice symmetrical design. Then we got ready to go to a Diwali function at UAB. Getting ready was a disaster. I was going to wear a salwar kameez that I have had for a few years, but as soon as I went to get dressed, I realized I didn’t know where the scarf was. So that outfit was out of the question. So I grabbed all my saris, and ran into another problem. None of my saris had the bloudes made! I have a handful, but I just never got around to having any of them tailored! In June, I was brought a beautiful sari from India, so I decided to wear that. But as I was unwrapping it, I realized that not only did I not have the blouse made, but where was the freaking petticoat?? Crap. I grabbed another petticoat from another sari and just made it work. Here comes the funny part. Neither I nor my friend knew how to put the sari on properly! Whenever I wear one, someone else puts it on for me. And whenever my friend wore one, someone always put it on for her! She winged it, and did a great job!

My boyfriend is out of state for a while on interviews, so he wasn’t here to participate in all the fun. At the function they had members of a dance company perform classical dance. It was really nice. Then a student came up and told jokes, someone sang, then two people did some kind of comedy skit, making fun of the different dance styles throughout India. Then we ate. A good time was had by all, and we even get to do it all over again for another Diwali function that will be put on by a different group.

Here we are at the function, accompanied by another friend, Lakshmi.

So, coconut ladoos.  I have been making coconut ladoo for a few years now. Everyone loves coconut, and these always get eaten up. They are really nice, and are perfect for Diwali, or any type of special occasion. They would even be a perfect Christmas sweet. And the best part is that they are super super super easy to make, and only have 4 ingredients! So, without further adieu, the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 freshly grated coconut, with a little bit left to roll the ladoos
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/4 -1/2 tsp cardamom powder, depending on how much you like cardamom
• nuts for topping (optional)

To Make:

Heat the ghee in a pan on medium. Add the coconut and stir. Continue to stir for a few minutes, then add the condensed milk. Continuously stir for a few minutes. Add the cardamom and stir again. Continue to stir, and cook until the coconut and condensed milk is cooked thoroughly, thick, and somewhat sticky. Take it off the heat and let it cool until you can handle it. Roll into bite sized balls, then roll in the reserved coconut. Top with nuts if desired. Done!

Also, if you would like to participate in this year’s Secret Santa, click here to read details!