Creamy, rich and absolutely melt in the mouth malai laddu made with just 4 ingredients – no condensed milk or no milk powder used. They are so simple to make and perfect for festivals like Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan or special occasions.
With Diwali just a few days away, I am sharing here this pearly white, mouth watering ladoo recipe that you can make at home with easily available ingredients and that too without slogging hours in kitchen. This Indian sweet can also be consumed during Navratri fasting as no flour or cornstarch is used in it.
You can even customise it in different flavours by using saffron, rose water, kewra, pistachios or coconut etc. The malai ladoo recipe shared here is:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Kids friendly
- Easy & quick to make
Ingredients you’ll need:
Paneer: Traditionally the recipe begins by curdling milk with vinegar or lemon juice and thus obtaining chenna from it (unpressed form of paneer). As this step takes time, I have used paneer block here which is easily available in most homes.
You can use homemade or store-bought paneer as per availability. Before proceeding with the recipe, just make sure paneer is fresh and there is no sour taste or off smell to it.
Cream: I have used Amul fresh cream which is 25% fat cream. Make sure the cream you are using is not old or expired otherwise it can split during cooking. The paneer when blended with cream instantly becomes smooth and velvety giving the ladoo that typical melt-in-mouth texture.
Sugar: You can use regular granulated or castor sugar as sweetener for ladoo. Please feel free to adjust its quantity as per your liking.
Aromatics: Cardamom, rose water, saffron, kewra are some of the aromatic options that enhance the taste of malai ladoo. I have explained how you can create different flavours at the end of post, so do check it out.
Though the recipe is very simple, the only trick here is to not overcook the ladoo mixture once the liquid is evaporated. Overcooking changes the texture of mixture, making the laddoo chewy & fudgy instead of soft and mellow.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Paneer- 200 gms
- Cream- 1/2 cup
- Granulated Sugar*- 1/2 cup
- Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp
- Pistachio/ Saffron- For garnishing
(If you like less sweet desserts, reduce sugar by 1-2 tbsp. Add it later after tasting the mixture.)
Directions:
Step 1:
If you are using homemade fresh paneer skip this step. For store bought paneer, dip it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften it & wash off any smell. Pat dry with a kitchen towel or tissue to remove all excess water.
Step 2:
Transfer paneer on a large plate. First crumble and then mash it with your palms till there are no crumbs left & it is smoothened completely. Keep it aside.
Step 3:
Heat cream in a pan on medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes. While the cream is heating, powder the sugar in a grinder jar.
Step 4:
Add mashed paneer to the cream and mix well for 1-2 minutes. Add powdered sugar to it and mix once again. Once the sugar starts melting, the mixture will liquify as can be seen below.
Step 5:
Continue cooking on low flame while stirring in between for 10-12 minutes. Stirring is important to prevent the mixture from burning. Also while stirring, scrape it from sides and bottom.
Step 6:
The mixture will thicken as shown after all its moisture is evaporated. Add cardamon powder to it and mix well once again. Turn off the flame once the mixture comes together (do not overcook). Leave in the pan for 2 minutes & then transfer it to a bowl to cool completely. Initially the mixture may seem little sticky but will turn ok after cooling down.
Step 7:
Apply little bit ghee on your palms. Divide the mixture into 10-12 portions and roll into smooth balls. Decorate with sliced pistachios or saffron strands (soaked in 1 tsp warm milk).
Not able to bind ladoos or ladoo loosing shape? Follow any of the two options below-
- If mixture seems wet even after cooling down, it means it is undercooked. Transfer it back into the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- If you are able to bind mixture but laddos are not holding their shape, then transfer the mixture to a container, close the lid and chill it in fridge for 40 to 60 minutes. It will solidify a bit and you will be able make ladoo easily.
Tips:
- Do not overcook the mixture once the liquid is evaporated, as otherwise the ladoo will turn out chewy in texture.
- These malai laddu can be stored in airtight container in fridge for 3-4 days.
- If you want to make recipe from scratch, then first make paneer with milk (chenna) but do not set it in block (refer to homemade paneer post). Wash it to remove any vinegar smell. Wrap and twist the chenna in muslin cloth to remove all water and let it rest like that for 1-2 hrs. Proceed to make the recipe from step 3.
Flavour Variations:
- Kesar: You can make kesar malai laddu by adding kesar (saffron) strands to the ladoo mixture. Add 10-12 strands to 2 tsp warm milk and crush them with back of spoon till the threads release their colour. Add this to step 5. The resulting laddu will have a beautiful yellow tinge along with divine floral aroma from saffron
- Rose: You can make rose malai laddu by adding pink food colour (or rose syrup) along with few drops of rose water. Always add rose water (or any aromatic) towards the end of cooking (step 6) as if cooked for too long, the delicate rose aroma can fade away.
- Pistachios: To give subtle green hues to malai ladoos, you can add a spoonful of pistachio cream (or pistachio spread) to ladoo mixture. Pistachio & cardamom makes a great pair together.
- Coconut: If you like coconut flavour, can add 2-3 tbsp of fresh or dried coconut (in step 5).
More easy Indian dessert recipes:
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