Rose + Cardamom Laddoo-style Snacks
Laddoo / Laddu is a general term for small round sweet treats that originated in India. Often made with flour (semolina or garam), sugar, ghee and maybe condensed milk or nuts.
These tasty treats were served at a meditation hosted by Aparna of Pure Ishvari and with permission I share it with you. This version is really clean and will be recognizable to folks as a person of “bliss balls”, but that makes me giggle. We will call the Laddoo.
Let’s get right to the recipe…
Rose + Cardamom Laddoos
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp rose water
1 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup raisins
2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp rose petal powder
To Make:
Pulse the cashews, almonds and coconut in a food processor till crumbly and powdery. Now add the dates, raisins, rose water, cardamom powder and rose petal powder and pulse till the entire mixture comes together. Transfer to a bowl and form them into golf ball sized balls. Enjoy!
I forgot to buy the raisins so I substituted dried cranberries, so I know the recipe is pretty forgiving.
For a little extra fancy because Valentine’s Day, rolled them in some dried coconut pulsed in the food processor with a pinch of rose petal powder. This part is totally optional, but was really pretty.
The links are to help you easily find the ingredients. I actually used a brand of rose petal powder called “MiNature” (which I use in masks and other recipes and is edible).
Why Roses?
Roses and the pressed essence of the rose are revered as symbols of love in part because of the energy of the rose oil and it’s intrinsic value in the healing the tissues of body: nourishing and revitalizing. This is true in Eastern, Western and Latin mythology as well as in Ayurvedic medicine.
Rose enlivens inner beauty, helps the skin to radiate inner glow out to others, and enhances all seven dhatus (body tissues). When used over time, the essence of rose pacifies the heat in the blood, preventing imbalances from causing eruptions.
Roses are the Queen of Flowers for good reason. They are the go-to for Valentine’s Day, make for exquisite skincare treatments, and are excellent in recipes.
About Aparna:
Aparna is a practitioner of Ayurveda and councils on nutrition as well as creating plant-based products as tools for wellness. Original Post