Kesar Malai Ladoo is one of those sweets that instantly brings festive vibes to the table. These ladoos are soft, creamy, rich, and melt-in-the-mouth, perfect for festivals and celebrations.
These ladoos are made with ricotta cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and flavored with saffron, cardamom, and kewra. Kesar Malai Ladoo is easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. They are perfect for Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Raksha Bandhan, or to make a treat for your loved ones.
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Creamy Kesar Malai Ladoo
I often make Indian sweets using ricotta cheese, and here I am sharing another delicious recipe using ricotta cheese. These ladoos are called Malai Ladoo because they are made with ricotta cheese and cream, resulting in a creamy and soft texture like Malai.
Making Kesar Malai Ladoo is easy and quick, coming together in under 30 minutes. They are made with only three main ingredients: ricotta cheese, cream, and powdered sugar.
I further flavored these balls of bliss with saffron, cardamom, and kewra essence. However, you can flavor them according to your preferences.
These laddus are perfect for festivals, celebrations, prasad, or to make a treat for your loved ones. You can also make them as a homemade gift or as a part of your festive thali.
If you do not have ricotta cheese, you can also make these ladoos with fresh paneer or chhena. Mash the paneer with your palm or in a food processor into a smooth consistency, and then use it instead of ricotta cheese.
Why You Will Love These Ladoos
- Kesar Malai Ladoo is rich, creamy, and soft with a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- The recipe is easy and quick with only a handful of ingredients.
- These ladoos are great for festivals, celebrations, or to make Prasad.
- Malai Laddus are delicious with the cardamom, saffron, and kewra flavors.
- They are perfect as a homemade edible gift box or for a dessert platter.
Ingredients
- Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta cheese is the base for this recipe, so choose the brand that you trust the most.
- Cream: Use heavy cream, also known as whipping cream.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar works well in this recipe as it gives a smooth and tender texture to the Kesar Malai Ladoo. You can use icing sugar, or grind the granulated sugar to a powder.
- Saffron: Saffron gives a festive flavor and beautiful hue to the laddus. Soak them in warm cream or milk to get the best taste and color.
- Ground Cardamom: For me, cardamom is a must for most of the Indian sweets. However, you can skip it if you want.
- Kewra Essence: You can use rose water or rose essence instead of kewra.
How To Make Kesar Malai Ladoo
- Soak the saffron strands in one tablespoon of warm cream or milk in a small bowl.
- Set it aside.
- In a non-stick pan, add ricotta cheese and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Soon, ricotta cheese will release moisture, and the mixture will become thinner and very moist.
- Continue cooking and stirring until the excess moisture evaporates from the ricotta cheese.
- Then, add the soaked saffron and heavy cream.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Keep the heat on low and continue cooking the mixture while stirring continuously.
- Cook the mixture until it thickens and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- It will take about 10-12 minutes.
- Once the mixture is thickened, add powdered sugar and ground cardamom.
- Mix well to dissolve the sugar completely.
- Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick like a soft dough.
- Do not overcook, as the mixture will become thicker upon cooling.
- You can do the test by taking a small amount of the mixture, letting it cool, and then rolling it into a smooth ball. If you can roll it without sticking to your fingers, the mixture is ready.
- Turn off the heat and add kewra essence.
- Mix well and transfer the mixture to a ghee-greased plate and spread it out.
- Let it cool.
- Take small portions of the mixture and roll them into smooth balls to shape ladoos.
- Garnish the ladoos with chopped pistachios if preferred.
Storage
Store the Kesar Malai Ladoo in an airtight container.
They can be stored at room temperature in a cool place for two days and refrigerated for a longer shelf life.
If refrigerated, bring them to room temperature before serving.
Helpful Tips For Kesar Malai Ladoo
Ricotta Cheese: Use extra smooth ricotta cheese for a silky texture if possible. Otherwise, any preferred ricotta cheese will work well.
Cooking Pan: If possible, use a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent the ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Do Not Overcook: Do not overcook the mixture; otherwise, it will become dry. You can do the test by taking a small amount of the mixture, letting it cool, and then rolling it into a smooth ball. If you can roll it without sticking to your fingers, the mixture is ready.
Flavors: You can customize the flavor of the Kesar Malai Ladoo. Add rose water or rose essence instead of kewra. You can also leave out saffron for white Malai Ladoo.
Shaping: While making a ball from the laddu mixture, grease your palm with ghee to make the ladoos smooth and easy to roll.
FAQ For Kesar Malai Ladoo
Absolutely yes! Use fresh paneer or chhena to make these creamy ladoos. Mash the paneer with your palms to make it smoother, and then use it instead of ricotta cheese. You can also smooth the paneer in the food processor.
Yes! For the white Malai Ladoo, skip the saffron. Ensure to cook the mixture on low heat, stirring continuously, to maintain the white color of the ladoos.
More Ladoo Recipes
Kesar Malai Ladoo
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500g) ricotta cheese (preferably extra smooth)
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- ¾ cup (90g) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- A few saffron strands
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- A few drops of kewra essence
Instructions
- Soak the saffron strands in one tablespoon of warm cream or milk in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- In a non-stick pan, add ricotta cheese and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Soon, ricotta cheese will release moisture, and the mixture will become thinner and very moist. Continue cooking and stirring until the excess moisture evaporates from the ricotta cheese.
- Then, add the soaked saffron and heavy cream. Mix thoroughly. Keep the heat on low and continue cooking the mixture while stirring continuously.
- Cook the mixture until it thickens and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan. It will take about 10-12 minutes.
- Once the mixture is thickened, add powdered sugar and ground cardamom. Mix well to dissolve the sugar completely.
- Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick like a soft dough. Do not overcook, as the mixture will become thicker upon cooling. You can do the test by taking a small amount of the mixture, letting it cool, and then rolling it into a smooth ball. If you can roll it without sticking to your fingers, the mixture is ready.
- Turn off the heat and add kewra essence. Mix well and transfer the mixture to a ghee-greased plate and spread it out. Let it cool.
- Take small portions of the mixture and roll them into smooth balls to shape ladoos. Garnish the ladoos with chopped pistachios if preferred.
Storing Suggestions
- Store the Kesar Malai Ladoo in an airtight container.
- They can be stored at room temperature in a cool place for two days and refrigerated for a longer shelf life.
- If refrigerated, bring them to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Ricotta Cheese: Use extra smooth ricotta cheese for a silky texture if possible. Otherwise, any preferred ricotta cheese will work well.
- Cooking Pan: If possible, use a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent the ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Do Not Overcook: Do not overcook the mixture; otherwise, it will become dry. You can do the test by taking a small amount of the mixture, letting it cool, and then rolling it into a smooth ball. If you can roll it without sticking to your fingers, the mixture is ready.
- Flavors: You can customize the flavor of the Kesar Malai Ladoo. Add rose water or rose essence instead of kewra. You can also leave out saffron for white Malai Ladoo.
- Shaping: While making a ball from the laddu mixture, grease your palm with ghee to make the ladoos smooth and easy to roll.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.