Mawa Ladoo
Veg
Rich khoya-based spherical sweets — reduced milk solids (mawa) fried briefly in ghee until lightly golden, then mixed with sugar, cardamom, saffron, and a binding of ghee and pressed into smooth, dense balls while still warm. The mawa ladoo is softer, richer, and more milky than besan ladoo; it melts rather than crumbles. Made at every Rajasthani festival, distributed at weddings and births, and sent as gifts in decorative boxes during Diwali. The finest mawa ladoos come from Ajmer, Pushkar, and Jodhpur, where generations of halwais have maintained the technique of fresh-daily mawa preparation.
Cuisines
Rajasthani
Haryanvi
Delhi
Marwari
Brij
Best for
Snacks
Dessert
Recipe
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | mawa (khoya) |
| 1/2 cup | powdered sugar |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios) |
| 1 tablespoon | ghee |
| — | saffron strands (optional) |
Instructions
- 1 Heat ghee in a pan on low flame and add the mawa.
- 2 Cook the mawa while stirring continuously until it turns light golden and releases a pleasant aroma.
- 3 Remove the pan from heat and let the mawa cool slightly.
- 4 Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder to the cooled mawa and mix well.
- 5 Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape them into small round balls (ladoo).
- 6 Garnish each ladoo with chopped nuts and a saffron strand, if using.
Tips
Ensure the mawa is cooked on low flame to prevent burning. You can adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of sugar.