Nariyal ke laddoo (Vegan coconut balls)

Nariyal ke laddoo are vegan coconut balls from India. This vegan and gluten-free no bake dessert is a healthy way to deal with your sweet cravings.

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As we are approaching my favorite season of the year – October, my home sickness is increasing with every passing day. October if my birth month, the weather in this month is amazing as the sun starts turning warm and breeze starts getting colder, with Diwali approaching, people start getting in festive mood, ginger- an ingredient reserved for the recipe of colder day’s tea, gets added to my mum made tea and the aroma of all my favourite dishes like Alu gobhi, alu matar, mooli paratha, methi paratha……. will start coming out of my mother’s kitchen . It’s a time of the year when I start missing my parents and sister, the most.

Though, the days in Dubai are still hot and will remain like this until November, the beauty of October is so strongly engraved in my memory that I automatically start feeling happy as well as get nostalgic as the month approaches.

With my birthday and so many other festivals during this period, it's a time when we get a sugar rush 🙂 . Though not a big fan of sweets now, as kids both my sister and I had some different favorite sweets, which were either prepared at home or brought from the market during Diwali, every year. My favorites were Gulab jamun and kaju katli, my sister loved nariyal ke laddoo (coconut balls) or nariyal ki barfi (coconut cubes) and she is still crazy about them.

Last weekend when I went for my weekly grocery shopping, I couldn’t resist myself from buying some cute boxes of freshly grated coconut. My initial plan was to make coconut rice but then I thought of making nariyal ke laddoo for Amit who loves anything that tastes sweet. The best thing about these coconut balls is that they are not only delicious but  healthy too as no processed white sugar or oil and ghee is used in making it. These coconut balls are perfect to deal with your sweet cravings in a healthy way

Try making these at home and celebrate the beautiful months ahead.

Step by step photo instructions

Recipe:

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time : 22 minutes

Serving : Makes around 10 small balls

Ingredients:

• Shredded coconut – fresh or dry (I have used the fresh one) – 1.5 cups
• Full fat coconut milk / normal milk, if you eat dairy : 1 cup
• Green cardamom powder: ½ teaspoon
• Coconut sugar / Jaggery powder: ⅓ cup
• A pinch of salt

Method:

• Dry toast the coconut in a pan, over medium- low heat for around 5 minutes until the coconut turns golden brown. Keep on stirring in between to avoid burning.
• Add milk /coconut milk and cardamom powder, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Now, add in the sugar/ jaggery powder, salt and cook for another 12-15 minutes. Let the mixture absorb back most of the released coconut oil.
• Switch off the gas and let the mixture come to room temperature.
• Shape the mixture into bite sized balls by rolling between your palms and enjoy!
• You can store them in fridge for around a week.