Rava / Semolina Ladoo

Here comes another ladoo....

Ingredients:
1 cup rava (semolina)
1/2 cup grated coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
*1/4 cup ghee
3 tbsps cashewnuts
3 tbsps golden raisins
1 tsp powdered cardamom powder

Method:
Melt the ghee in a saucepan or wok. Fry cashew nuts till golden brown and remove from the pan. Fry the raisins in the same ghee and remove from pan. Fry the rava/semolina gently till golden brown and fragrant. There should be very noticable change in color and aroma when compared with the raw semolina. Set aside. Powder the dessicated coconut. Mix the sugar and water in a pan. Heat gently to a rolling boil and keep stirring. Check the sugar syrup for a 1-string consistency**. Slowly stir in the the semolina & coconut powder to avoid forming lumps.
Stir in the cashews, raisins and cardamom powder. Remove from heat and let cool.
When warm enough to handle, squeeze a handful of the mixture between your fingers and palm to form small balls. Place one cashew/raisin to each ball. The balls will become firm when kept for 15 min.

Notes:
*If ghee makes you nervous, you can reduce the quantity.
**This means that when you lift the spoon from the syrup and feel the syrup coating the back of the spoon, it should be very sticky. Blow on it a bit before you touch it - it will be hot!. Gently pinch and spread apart your forefinger and thumb. The sugar syrup should trail in a single strand between the two fingers. This is known as "one-string" sugar syrup.
You can sprinkle a little milk to get it ixed. But if it is too much, the ladoo won`t be firm.