Ragi Laddu (Nachni Ladoo)

5 from 28 votes

Satisfy your sweet tooth guilt-free with ragi laddu, also known as nachni ladoo or finger millet laddu. Made with ragi flour, almonds, and jaggery, these refined sugar-free treats offer a delicious combination of flavors and textures. Perfect for satisfying midday cravings or packing in lunch boxes, these make-ahead ladoos are easy to make and incredibly convenient.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Hindu, Vegetarian

Servings: to 18 servings

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Ingredients

1 cup ragi flour finger millet flour
½ cup almonds
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
¼ tablespoon dried coconut
3 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
½ - ¾ cup jaggery
½ teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions

Place a frying pan on medium heat and add the almonds. Dry roast them until they are crispy. Set it aside and let it cool completely.
Next, add the sesame seeds and dry roast them until they are light brown. Set it aside and let it cool completely.
Next, to the same pan, add the desiccated coconut and dry roast it until they are light brown. Set it aside and let it cool completely.
Once they cool down, grind the almonds, sesame seeds, and desiccated coconut into a slightly coarse powder. Transfer to a large bowl.
No, add ghee to the frying pan and let it melt completely.
Add ragi once the ghee is melted. Fry on low-to-medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until the raw smell goes.
The ragi is done when it starts to come together and the ghee begins to release.
Add cardamom powder and mix well. Turn off the heat.
Add jaggery and mix well. The jaggery should just melt and mix with ragi. The heat in ragi is sufficient.
Combine the ragi-jaggery mixture with the powdered almond mixture.
While the mixture is still warm, pinch out small portions of the mixture and make a round ladoo.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Frying the ragi well is very important. It should be completely done, and the raw smell should go, and at the same time, it should not burn. Always fry the ragi on low heat. Be patient and do not increase the flame, as the ragi can burn quickly, which will make the ladoo bitter.

You will know the ragi laddu mixture is done when it begins to come together and starts to leave the sides of the pan. It should take 12-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat when you add jaggery. We just want the jaggery to melt and come together with ragi. The heat in ragi is sufficient to melt the jaggery. The jaggery I used is soft and melts easily. If you are using hard jaggery, grate it before adding. You may also use jaggery powder instead.

I like to grind the almonds, sesame seeds, and coconut into a slightly coarse powder. This adds great texture to the ragi laddu. You may choose to grind it into a fine powder. If you are grinding it into a fine powder, take care not to over-process it, as it will release fat and have a buttery texture.

Make the ragi ladoo when the mixture is still warm. Do not let the ragi mixture cool down, as it will be difficult to shape the ladoo if the mixture cools down. If you are unable to make round balls from the mixture, add one tablespoon of warm ghee and mix it well. This will help in shaping the laddu.

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