Couple of months back, I realized that it was high time for Devansh to start eating dry snacks. They come in handy when you are hungry in-between meals or when you are outdoors or traveling. Of course, these snacks have to be nutritious as well. At one of my local grocers’ I found these sugarless ragi laddu or ragi ladoo; they had used dates to sweeten the ladoo. Devansh really liked those ladoos and would ask for more saying “dyakum dyakum”.

Don’t know how but he’s coined the word “dyakum” for ladoo. Even when Chota Bheem is shown eating ladoos he goes “dyakum dyakum”. To come back to ragi ladoo, I decided to make these ladoos at home. This was a big decision for me as I had never made ladoos before. There’s one guest recipe of ladoos on my blog but I had never gotten around to making them. I have been somewhat intimidated by the entire process. But for the sake of Devansh and this blog I thought I will give it a shot.

Ragi Laddu / Ragi Ladoo, Recipe Research and Benefits

I looked up many recipes and while browsing I came across one which had used ragi and oats flour. Ragi which is also known as Madua in Hindi and Bhav in Gujarati, is high in calcium content. Our body absorbs more calcium from food than in the form of calcium supplement. Therefore this wonder food is a must in a child’s diet to ensure his/her bone development. Oats too provide several health benefits as they are high in fiber and protein content. I had bought a packet of oats and was looking up recipes for using those oats. So when I saw this recipe of ladoos made of ragi and oats, using jaggery instead of sugar, I knew it was just the thing I was looking for.

Taste-wise the ladoos turned out good but I wasn’t too pleased with the shape. They weren’t exactly ball-shaped, they were slightly flat bottomed, and frankly looked a little amateurish. Devansh ate one ladoo on the day I made them. Unfortunately from the very next day he contracted cough and cold, and has been quite averse to food. Also I didn’t want to feed him the ladoos since they had quite a bit of ghee in it, which could worsen his cough. Rest of us polished the ladoos in no time.

I will make the next batch when Devansh gets better. These ladoos just melt in your mouth so they can safely be given to babies as young as 10 months old. Of course you will have to make real small, bite-sized pieces before feeding them to babies. Also, add powdered cashew nuts instead of whole cashew nuts if you are making the ladoos for babies. However, before including cashew nuts in your baby’s diet, get a go-ahead from your pediatrician as some babies may be allergic to nuts.

Ragi Laddu, Ragi Ladoo Recipe

Print Recipe

Ragi Laddu or Ragi Ladoo make for nutritious – calcium and iron rich snack, ideal for toddlers, kids . Must try if considering ragi for kids.

Course Desserts, Snacks

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

1 cup ragi flour finger millet flour, madua atta
1/2 cup oats I used Quaker’s Oats
7/8 tbsp homemade ghee
1 tsp cardamom powder
jaggery as per taste, I used about 6 tbsp
10-12 cashew nuts

Instructions

Roast the oats in a non-stick pan for about a minute and then after they cool down, grind them in a blender to make its flour. (Don’t let the oats change color, turn off heat the minute you see a hint of pink/brown.)
Heat a non-stick pan, add ghee, and then add ragi flour after the ghee melts.
Roast the ragi flour for about 6-7 minutes while stirring it continuously.
Add oats flour and then roast the mixture for about 2-3 minutes while stirring it continuously.
Turn off heat after the mixture is properly roasted.
Add jaggery and mix it properly with the mixture. (I use organic jaggery which is already sort of melted so it blends well with the hot mixture. If you are using solid jaggery you can either grate it or break it into real small pieces so that it mixes well fast.)
Transfer the mixture into a bowl, and add cardamom powder and mix it properly with the mixture.
You can start making ladoos a couple of minutes later when the mixture cools down slightly and is comfortable to handle. To form ladoos, grease your palm slightly with ghee and start molding the mixture in the size of a ball.
Add one cashew nut on top of a ladoo and then again keep squeezing till you get a round-shaped ladoo. If your mixture turns out too dry or you are not too keen on shaping the ladoos, you can make barfi instead of ladoos. Just spread the mixture in a deep dish and refrigerate it. When it cools down cut it into square sized pieces. I made some barfi as well as ladoos. ;-)

Notes

Also See:
Home Made Ghee Recipe

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1 thought on “Ragi Laddu Recipe, Ragi Laddu for Kids, Ragi Oats Ladoo Recipe”

wowladdusindia

November 16, 2021 at 9:10 am

A Perfect Balance of Sweets and Healthiness. Undoubtedly Children would love it. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipe along with healthy aspect of it.