Notes

• Ragi flour: Use fresh ragi/finger millet flour. Regular or sprouted ragi flour both work. Old ragi flour can develop a slightly bitter or rancid taste.
• Roasting the ragi: Roast over low heat until the raw flour smell disappears and the ragi smells distinctly nutty. Don't increase the heat to speed this up—the flour can scorch easily.
• Jaggery: Powdered jaggery works best because it blends easily with the nuts and coconut. You can substitute coconut sugar, brown sugar or regular sugar, but the flavour and amount of ghee needed for binding may vary slightly.
• Nuts: Almonds, peanuts, cashews or pistachios all work. If using peanuts, you can remove the skins after roasting.
• Sesame seeds: Toast only until fragrant. Over-roasted sesame seeds can make the ladoos taste bitter.
• If the mixture is too dry: Add warm melted ghee 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture holds together when pressed in your palm.
• If the mixture is too soft: Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes and then reshape.
• Shape while warm: The ladoos are much easier to roll while the mixture is still warm. First press each portion firmly in your palm, then roll it into a ball.
• For perfectly round ladoos: Shape them once while warm, refrigerate for about 15 minutes, then roll them between your palms again.
• Dairy-free option: Replace the ghee with coconut oil. The flavour will be slightly different but works well with ragi and jaggery.
• Nut-free option: Omit the nuts and replace them with additional sesame, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
• Storage: Store in an airtight container for about 1 week at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• Yield: This recipe makes approximately 15 ladoos, depending on the size you roll them.