CRAVING FOR COCONUT LADDU/ THENGAI LADDU

Kongu people believe that the coconut is a superfood since very ancient times. They add the coconut in each and every meal they cooked daily.

Coconut is a very versatile and indispensable food item for kongu people. It is a complete food rich in calories, vitamins and minerals. A medium size coconut carries 400 gm edible kernel and some 30 to 150 ml of water may provide almost all the daily needed essential minerals energy of an average man. 100 gms of kernel consists of 354 calories. The important saturated fatty acid in the coconut is lauric acid (1:12 carbon fatty acid). Lauric acid increases good cholesterol levels in the blood. HDL is high-density lipoprotein, which has beneficial effects on the coronary arteries by preventing vessel blockage (atherosclerosis). Physicians recommend high HDK to total cholesterol levels in the blood for the same reason.

 

The kernel is an excellent source of minerals such as copper, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc.

It is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and pyridoxine. These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish.

Coconut water and coconut edible kernel contain a very good amount of potassium. 100 gms of fresh kernal contains 356 mg or 7.5 % of daily required levels of potassium.

source Google -nutrition and you.com

Now let us move to learn how to make coconut laddu:

This sweet is made with very few ingredients such as jaggery, coconut grates, little ghee, some cashews, melon seeds and cardamoms.

Ingredients:

coconuts two medium size

Jaggery 250 gms

cardamom ten

melon seeds 10gms

ghee one tablespoon

Cashews 15 no

Procedure:

Break the coconuts and shred the kernel of the coconuts.

Heat the jaggery with little water and allow to boil until the two string consistency.

Heat the dry pan with coconut grates with little ghee and saute until the milk thickens in the shredded coconut.

Add the sugar syrup into coconut fried with ghee.

Mix well.

Keep aside.

Dry roast the melon seeds.

Dry roast the cashews.

Allow to cool.

Blend the coconut mixed with jaggery with cardamom seeds, some melon seeds roasted, roasted cashews without adding water.

Transfer the blended ingredients into a bowl.

Make laddus of your optional size.

Now the yummy coconut laddu is ready to serve.

melon seeds, cashews, jaggery and coconut make this laddu as highly nutritional and delicious.

Yummy coconut soft laddu