After a short-lived Spring, we are all cooped up inside our house again, this time unwilling to face the wrath of the sun. While guzzling down glasses of freezing cold sharbat we crib to those around about the weather, and they don’t take a moment to nod along. If this is what the beginning of summer looking like, we wonder how we will we even make it through the peak? Indian summers are not easy for anyone, however, we have found ways to make it a little more tolerable. Juicy, summer fruits like mango, strawberry, pineapple, watermelon, Jamun, phalsa, litchi etc, crowd our refrigerators, and a lot of us have a habit of hoarding too, especially mangoes. Mango (Mangifera indica), is an Indian fruit that has many cultivars such as safeda, alphonso, langda and chausa. It is mostly yellow or green in colour, with seed in between. Ripened mangoes are renowned for their sweet pulp and nectar which has impressed royals and commoners across history.
Mangoes can be enjoyed as is, or be used to flavour variety of desserts such as Kulfi, ice cream, and even waffles. Its sweet, tropical taste can offer a delicious upgrade to even something as simple as Ladoos. Ladoo again is a dessert popular in the subcontinent. It is a sweet ball made with a combination of nuts, dry fruits, sugar/jaggery, spices, flour and lentils. You can pretty much use most of the things in your pantry to make ladoos. Did you know the history of Ladoos can be traced back to the times of Sushruta, the ancient Indian medic would mix healing herbs and spices to make ladoos and serve them to his patients so that they recover soon.
Over the years of course, ladoos have donned somewhat of an indulgent reputation. People are making use of chocolate and vanilla to make their ladoos. Through the winter, we had many different kinds of ladoos like the Gondh ka Laddoo and the Panjiri ladoo that helped keep us warm, and now it is time for summer fruits to spell their magic. These Mango and Coconut Ladoos are an ideal summer dessert. Made with mango puree, coconut powder, cardamom powder and milkmaid, this rich and smooth ladoo is as indulgent as it gets. The fruity, tropical flavour of the ladoo are simply class apart.
Drooling much? Here’s the recipe you are looking for.