Finger Millet (Kezhvaragu) Ladoo

Ingredients:

• Finger millet flour (Kezhvaragu or ragi) – 100 ml
• Jaggery (powdered) – 100 ml
• Cashew nuts – 6
• Grated coconut – 1 Tablespoon
• Sesame seeds – 1 Tablespoon
• Cardamom powder – a pinch
• Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 Teaspoon
• Skimmed milk (warm) – 3 Tablespoons

 Method: 

• Heat ghee in a kadai over medium heat, add cashews and roast. Keep aside.
• In the same kadai roast ragi flour for about 5 minutes. Keep aside.
• Turn off heat. Add sesame seeds in the same kadai and roast for few seconds and keep aside. For roasting sesame seeds, the remaining heat in the kadai is enough.
• In a separate pan, fry coconut, cardamom powder and jaggery together until the coconut releases a good aroma. That is, coconut turns dry while dry roasting.
• Now mix all together, sprinkle warm milk and by using your hand form them into small balls. If you feel the mixture is still dry add little more milk. Initially add a tablespoon of milk and make the mixture into crumble, then add another tablespoon of milk. Like wise add remaining milk and form the mixture into small balls.
• Store them in an airtight container. From this recipe you will get 6 ladoos.

 Note:

• Ragi is Finger millet.
• Jaggery is unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar.
• Both are available in Indian stores.
• You can substitute powdered sugar for jaggery.