Ragi Laddu | Nachni Ladoo
Ragi laddu recipe with step by step photos. This is a quick, easy and tasty ragi ladoo made with three ingredients – ragi (finger millet), jaggery and ghee.
Ragi or nachni or finger millet is a healthy grain and should be included in the food that we make. Being very rich in calcium it is excellent for kids and women.
I have got a lot of requests to add ragi recipes. So will add them one by one. Usually I just add some ragi flour in the everyday roti dough I make and thats how we include ragi in our diet. I also make Ragi Kheer, Ragi Halwa, Ragi Dosa, ragi roti and ragi idli at times. On occasions I make ragi poori too.
For now sharing this quick recipe of ragi ladoo. You really don’t have to stress over making these ladooos as it requires only 3 main ingredients. Get your ragi flour, powdered jaggery and ghee in place and start making the ladoos. Other than these, you would need a bit of cardamom powder that goes as the flavoring in this dish.
One of the most important things you need to remember while making these ladoos is to roast the ragi very well. If there is even a slight rawness, then this will cause stomach aches.
These ragi ladoos stay good for a week at room temperature in a cool climate. In a hot or humid climate, refrigerate them.
How to make Ragi Laddu
Roasting ragi flour
1. Take 1.5 cups ragi flour (nachni or finger millet flour) in a kadai or a thick bottomed broad pan.
Use fresh ragi flour which is in its shelf period. A big no to rancid flour.
2. Keep the pan on a low flame or sim and begin to roast the ragi flour. You have to stir often while roasting the flour so that there is even roasting.
3. Roast till the color changes and you get a nice aroma from the ragi flour. About 6 to 8 minutes on a low heat.
Timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan. I used a steel kadai which does not have a thick bottomed base, thus it took me just 6 minutes to roast the ragi flour.
Making ragi laddu
4. Then add ⅓ cup ghee in the flour.
5. The ghee will melt.
6. Begin to mix the ghee with the flour.
7. Keep on stirring and roasting this mixture for 5 to 7 minutes more. Again here timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan.
8. Do check the taste of the ragi flour and you will get a crunchy taste. There should be no rawness in the taste.
It took me 5 minutes to get the roasting done at this step, due to the steel kadai I used.
9. Then switch off the flame and place the pan down. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
10. Next add ¾ cup jaggery powder. You can also grate a block of jaggery and then add. You can use powdered sugar instead of jaggery, but add sugar as per taste.
11. Begin to mix very well.
12. Break the tiny lumps of jaggery if any with the spoon or spatula.
13. Let this ragi ladoo mixture become warm, then mix everything again very well with your hands and break small lumps if any with your hands.
14. Take a portion of the mixture and shape into ladoos. If you are unable to form ragi ladoos, then add a few tablespoons of ghee which is at room temperature. Mix again very well and begin to shape the ladoos.
15. Make all ragi ladoo this way with the mixture.
16. Store ragi laddu in an airtight jar or container. Serve them as a sweet snack.
If you are looking for more Ladoo recipes then do check:
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups ragi flour (nachni or finger millet flour) or 210 grams ragi flour
- ¾ cup organic powdered jaggery or 140 grams powdered jaggery
- ⅓ cup Ghee or 65 to 70 grams ghee
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 3 to 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi) – crushed in mortar-pestle
Instructions
roasting ragi flour
- Take 1.5 cups ragi flour in a kadai or a thick bottomed broad pan.
- Keep the pan on a low flame or sim and begin to roast the ragi flour. You have to stir often while roasting the flour so that there is even roasting.
- Roast till the color changes and you get a nice aroma from the ragi flour. About 6 to 8 minutes on a low flame.
- Timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan. I used a steel kadai which does not have a thick bottomed base, thus it took me just 6 minutes to roast the ragi flour.
making ragi ladoo mixture
- Then add 1/3 cup ghee in the flour. The ghee will melt.
- Begin to mix the ghee with the flour.
- Keep on stirring and roasting this mixture for 5 to 7 minutes more. Again here timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan.
- Do check the taste of the ragi flour and you will get a crunchy taste. There should be no rawness in the taste. It took me 5 minutes to get the roasting done at this step, due to the steel kadai I used.
- Then switch off the flame. Place the pan down.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder and add 3/4 cup jaggery powder. You can also grate a block of jaggery and then add. You can use powdered sugar instead of jaggery, but add sugar as per taste.
- Begin to mix very well.
- Break the tiny lumps of jaggery if any with the spoon or spatula.
making ragi ladoo
- Let this ragi ladoo mixture become warm, then mix everything again very well with your hands and break small lumps if any with your hands.
- Take a portion of the mixture and shape into ladoos.
- If you are unable to form ragi ladoos, then add a few tablespoons of ghee, which is at room temperature. Mix again very well and begin to shape the ragi ladoos.
- Make ladoos this way with all of the mixture.
- Store ragi ladoo in an airtight jar or container. Serve them as a sweet snack.
Nutrition
This Ragi Laddu post from the archives first published in August 2016 has been republished and updated on January 2023.
These ladoos are amazing! What is the shelflife of these Ragi Ladoos?
Thank you! I am glad you liked them. In cooler weather, Ragi Laddu stay good for about a week at room temperature. During warmer or hot seasons, it’s best to refrigerate them.
What is the shelf life of this laddu?
In a cool climate they keep well for about a week at room temperature. In warmer or hotter seasons, refrigerate the laddu.
Hi mam I have made ragi ladoo 3-4 times and this time there is raw taste of ragi flour and I have already mixed everything. Please suggest what to do now
Try roasting the whole mixture again for some minutes until the raw taste goes away.
But take care that the jaggery/sugar does not crystallize or harden while roasting. In this case, add a few tablespoons of milk (plant based or dairy) in the mixture while roasting or cooking it again.
Made this recipe, but for some reason it turned out bitter. Please help
The flour must be bitter. Sometimes packaged flours have a bitter taste as the flour is not fresh and in its optimum shelf life when packed.
Tried this yesterday. Turned out so delicious, that people wouldn’t believe it is made from ragi! Lovely recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Nice to know. Thanks a lot for the review on the recipe and most welcome.
Hi Dassana,
During this lockdown time, I tried different dishes and for most of them I referred your recipes. Thanks a lot for detailed explanation.
Today I made Ragi Ladoo for my pregnant sister and she loved it. Credit goes to you !!!
Thanks Amruta. Glad to know that your sister loved the ragi ladoo. Credit also goes to you as you have made them for here. Thanks again and take care.
Made Nachni Ladoo Following your recipe.. It Turned out amazing.. added little qty of Sesame seeds and almond powder to it.. 🙂 Thank You.. and I love all your recipes 🙂 🙂
Thanks a lot for sharing the feedback and the variations. In fact the recipe is easily adaptable. Thanks for the rating too. Most welcome.
Hi I did everything as you said and my proportion and timing were also precise as told by you but somehow the laddoos could not hold the shape even after extra ghee they kept on breaking as powder only thing which I added extra was little bit of roasted poppy seeds please suggest
some more ghee needs to be added. then the ragi ladoo will bind. usually when ladoo do not bind, then it is less ghee in the mixture. so adding more ghee always helps. melt some ghee and then add. mix and let the mixture become warm. then shape in ladoo. hope this helps.
Hello, can I make barfi from this recipe? If not, could I add a little milk and shape them like barfi? Thank you for your recipes!
yes roopali you can make barfi. addition of some milk will definitely help to give some moisture and setting them to a neat even shape. do add milk. without milk it will be difficult to make burfi.
Hi Dasanna,
Can this be fed to my 1 year old baby? Also can this be stored at room temperature and fed as a travel food for baby, powdered and mixed in hot milk and fed? Pls let know
hi meera, ragi can given to a 1 year old. for the ragi ladoos, i would suggest to powder and mix it with some hot milk, to avoid choking. yes, you can keep the ladoo at room temperature and use it for travels too.
Loved your recipe! I have been trying to find recipes before but all had a failed turnout… Loved the proportions you’ve got… I made these ladoos with mixed millet flour.. The taste turned out be great with this method! Thank you ❤️
P.s: I have been a fan of a lot of your recipes… Thanks for sharing 🙂
thank you sonia ????????. this recipe can work with any millet flour and even mixed millet flour. the proportions of ghee can always be changed to a bit less or more. thanks for sharing the positive feedback and review on ragi ladoo recipe.
Hi Dassana
As usual perfect recipe!
U mentioned about ragi poori in description
Could u pls share the recipe ?
Thank u!
thanks rams. yes i do make both ragi roti and ragi pooris at times. i will add try to add the recipe in some time.
Can I use powdered sugar in place of jaggery as it’s not available and I want to make it asap
you can use powdered sugar.
Hi,
Traied making these ladoos sometime last week…they have come out tasty…added 1/2 cup of raosted dry coconut to it….However the laddoos are a little dry…also there is a slight powdery taste to it…does it mean that the flour wasn’t roasted well….
jagruti, if any more ingredient is added, then some more ghee will also be required. thus the dryness is there. so could be 1/4 cup of ghee could have been added. the powdery taste is because the ragi flour has not roasted well enough.
Excellent is the word. Thanks a lot for the awesome healthy recipe.
Welcome Aarthy. Thanks for your positive feedback.
Hi dassana,
I tried this laddu, though tasty it came out extremely hard to bite.
What can be done to make it soft.
Can you let me know please
Parvathy, crumble the ladoo mixture and add some more ghee and then make the ladoos again.
For how many days can this ladoo be preserved?
stays good for a a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Hi Dassana,
Made these today and they turned out very delicious.Quick to make and equally tasty.Thank you.
Welcome Ashwini. Glad to know this.
I have been struggling to get my kid to eat ragi roti. made this laddu today and felt very happy when he started asking for more laddus. 🙂
thank you soooo much for such a wonderful and easy recipe.
thanks a lot usha. glad to know that your kid liked the rage laddus.
Came out really well! Great taste and crunchiness 🙂
thanks jayashree for the feedback on the ragi ladoo recipe.
Can we add broken nuts? Will it suit for the ragi flavor?
yes you can add broken nuts. they go well with the ragi flavor.
Made these laddoos. My folks used to look down on ragi, but these laddoos just blew their minds.awesome is the word. And such simple recipe … Thank u..
welcome diana. glad to know that you all liked ragi ladoo recipe.
Gud Aftrnun…. Before I could start with Shaping the laduus, I sprinkled a pinch of salt all over and mixed it well. That awakened all the flavours present in it. Thanks for sharing a yummy n healthy sweet snack. M looking forward for Methi ka Laduu recipe and sugar free sweets snacks.
thats a good tip manasi of adding a pinch of salt. thanks for sharing this. i do plan these recipes in some time.
The method of preparation is very similar to a gujarati recipe called god papdi – thts made with wheat floyr n jaggery n spread on a plate n cut in slices
thank you shweta for sharing your tips and suggestions.
thanks for the healthy recipe?. But I am not sure about the purity of the jaggery I am getting here in my place. shall I dissolve it in water and can I use after filtering it
welcome ram. i have used organic jaggery which does not have impurities. make a thick jaggery solution and then filter it. just add enough water to make the jaggery moist (about 3 to 4 tablespoons). too much water and the ladoos won’t hold shape. it will become like a halwa/kesari consistency.