Love and Laddu

 The making of laddus itself is an act of love. You are making it for someone you love unless you are working in a mithaai shop. You visualize happy faces drooling over the laddu platter. There is demand for more, as laddus disappear in no time and words of praise float in the air. You smile, laddus smile too!

Smiles at the dining place are a must. There is a deep connection between the food and the emotions of the person who cooks. So it is better to keep the woman who cooks for you happy. You will get better and innovative tastes at the table.

The essence of love is empathy. Try to walk in their shoes often, you will be able to experience the joys, anxieties, silences, ups and downs with empathy. You will stop judging your loved ones and keep lesser expectations. This way there will be newness of experiences and you will choose to stay in love.  Love will become a simple and hassle free experience just like a mother’s love. Mother’s love is often intuitive because of its purity. She knows when her children are hungry, what their tastes are, and what makes them happy. My kids love outside food so I make it a point to give off days for cooking and order food from outside. That makes it easy for both sides. I get my leisure, they get the much needed change in taste.

This sometimes opens doors for self love also. Don’t expect others to keep you happy all the time. Some days make pink laddus just because you are in love with yourself.  Enjoy every aspect of laddu making. Get into the flow. Keep some music playing. Burn some fragrant tea lights. Fill your heart with gratitude. Once the laddus are made, take one in your hand to feel its softness and texture. Allow it to melt into your mouth. Give yourself a pat on the back for making a masterpiece in your kitchen. Isn’t it interesting?

The truth is that women are more prone to negative thoughts as they are conditioned to expect others to make them happy. We need others to make us happy, but give them a break once in a while. Look at negative thoughts like how you look at negative people, keep them at a distance, and don’t interact with them. Well, this is easier said than done.

 “Creativity dissolves negativity,”says Swamiji.
Be creative.

Listen to this hilarious video of Swamiji here. https://youtu.be/f6FDk3TGafw .

So, here is to the festival season and so much love and light in every heart.  This is a simple and delicious laddu with minimal (4 ) ingredients and takes less than ten minutes to make.

PINK COCONUT LADDU

 Ingredients 

(Makes 10 to 12 )

2 cups desiccated coconut

1 ½ cup milk

1 cup sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons milkmaid.

2 teaspoons ghee

Few drops of pink /red food color

PREPARATION

Heat a nonstick pan on a slow flame.  Add the coconut immediately and keep stirring with a wooden spatula.  (Take care not to overheat the pan, the desiccated coconut will turn brown in no time. Here is a chance to be very mindful.) The coconut will turn crumbly and start giving out a nutty fragrance within two to three minutes. Add ghee. Stir and mix well. (If the pan is getting overheated lift it off the stove for few seconds while stirring.) Add milk. Allow the coconut to soak in it and absorb all the milk. Now add the sugar. Keep mixing gently. The mixture will start to leave the sides of the pan. At this point add milkmaid. Gently mix till the ingredients blend and form a soft dough. 

The mixture is ready now. Take the pan off the flame, allow it to cool. Take some desiccated coconut on a plate add a few drops of pink or red food color in it. Mix lightly to get pink colored coconut flakes.  Make laddus while it is warm enough to be handled. Roll them on pink coconut flakes. You can try out other colors too.

Pink and beautiful laddus are now ready to be served. These laddus can be stored safely for three or four days in the fridge.