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.