Nuts laddoo with jaggery

INGREDIENTS

Cashewnuts- 1 cup
Unroasted unsalted Peanuts- 1 cup
Almonds- 1 cup
Pistachionuts- 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 6 cubes
Elaichi/cardamom powder- To taste
Ghee- To make laddoos

PROCEDURE:

• In a pan, dry roast all the nuts in low to medium flame until raw smell is gone. Be careful in making sure the nuts do not burn. Keep mixing now and then.
• Once cooled down, grind to a coarse powder in a mixie.
• Heat the jaggery cubes in microwave for 20 seconds and grind them in the same mixie to make a sticky powder and add them to nuts mixture
• Add cardamom powder and some ghee enough to be able to make laddoos with your hands.
• Enjoy guilt free. Nice dish for potlucks or quick prasadam for any puja. You can add dates if you like too but you must adjust the jaggery accordingly.

Rava (Semolina Kesari)

INGREDIENTS:

Rava- 1 cup
Milk- 1 cup
Water-1.5 cups
Sugar- 1.5 cups
Ghee- Enough to make the kesari smooth consistency
Cashew nuts- Handful
Craisins/Raisins- 1 tbsp appr
Almonds- Optional, 1 tbsp or more
Cardamom powder- 1 tbsp depending on the strength of the powder
Kesari powder- Optional, a dash for color.  Tamil people are used to the orange color for kesari.
Saffron- A pinch for garnish.

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pot with a little ghee, fry the rava until raw smell is gone and keep aside.
2. In the same pot, add a tbsp ghee and roast the nuts and craisins/raisins and cardamom powder until done and keep aside.
3. In the same pot, add one tbsp of ghee or more again and add milk and water and bring it to a boil. Add the color powder and mix.
4. Now add the fried rava and mix till smooth. Add more ghee if there are lumps. Thats the secret for a good consistency.
5. Mix the sugar and keep stirring until the kesari does not stick to the sides of the pot and moves freely from the edges.
6. Add the roasted nuts and craisins/raisins and mix well. Turn off stove and garnish with saffron.Serve hot.

Rava Laddoo

INGREDIENT:

Rava or semolina- 2.5 cups
Sugar- 2 cups
Ghee-For roasting rava,cashewnuts, raisins
Cashewnuts-A handful
Raisins- A handful
Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

PROCEDURE:

1. In a hot pan, add a tbsp of ghee and add the rava. Roast until golden color and raw smell is gone.
2. Keep aside and allow to cool.
3. In the same pan, add ghee and roast cashew nuts and raisins and add cardamom powder.
4. In a mixie, dry grind the roasted rava to a fine powder and keep aside. Now grind the sugar into a fine powder. 
5. Mix the rava, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins and make laddoos with your hands. Add ghee to be able to make a laddoo.