Malai Ladoo Recipe with step by step photos: A rich, creamy, melt-in-mouth milk-based ladoo that tastes heavenly.
Malai ladoo or malai laddu is a popular Indian sweet dish, usually made during festive times and special occasions. It is also called milk ladoo or paneer ladoo. A simple, easy, few ingredients recipe. Malai ka ladoos are made by combining paneer, evaporated milk solids, and sugar together and shaped into round balls.
If you love milk-based desserts, you must give this Malai laddu recipe a try. These are so addictive, you can't be able to stop with one!
Few more festive sweets for you
About this Recipe
To make this malai laddu I have used freshly made paneer by curdling the whole full fat milk and made instant khoya from full cream milk powder. Which yields a creamy, soft, moist texture. Alternatively, store-bought paneer and khoya can be used. Just make sure they are fresh & moist.
Full-fat milk powder is easily available in most supermarkets. If you are in India you can find Patanjali cow whole milk powder in the local markets.
I also like to flavor these ladoos with green cardamom powder and kewra water. You can use either one of these or both. Adding kewra water is optional. If not available, skip it.
I have not added any nuts to these ladoos. You can add some crushed pistachios or almonds to these to enhance the taste or decorate with your choice of nuts.
You can even add some saffron while making the khoya to make Kesar Malai Ladoo.
Ingredients You'll Need
Milk: whole full cream dairy milk
Vinegar: it is used for curdling the milk. Alternatively, lime juice or curd can be used.
Milk powder: full cream milk powder/dairy whitener
Sugar: white granulated sugar
Ghee: homemade or store bought ghee/clarified butter
Cardamom powder: homemade or store-bought green cardamom powder for flavoring
Kewra water: an extract distilled from the flower of the Pandanus plant. It has a delicate flavor. (optional)
Full list of ingredients with measurement is located in the recipe card below.
Preparations Step by Step
Preparing the Paneer/Chenna
- Heat milk in a nonstick pan or heavy bottom pan over medium flame. Let the milk come to a boil.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add ½ cup of water to the milk. This makes the curdling process faster.
- Start adding vinegar little by little and stir until the milk curdles completely. Alternatively, you can use lime juice or curd.
- Line a cloth over a colander and drain the curdled milk. Rinse it with some fresh water to get rid of the vinegar taste.
- Squeeze water tightly from the cloth and then let it hang for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preparing the Instant Mawa/Khoya
- In the meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan or heavy bottom pan in low flame. Add milk and ghee followed by sugar and milk powder while stirring continuously to get a smooth mixture. Replace milk powder with grated khoya, if using store-bought khoya.
- Keep stirring until the mixture completely leaves the sides of the pan and becomes a mass.
- Instant mawa is ready. Turn off the flame, transfer the mawa to a plate and let it slightly cools down.
Making Malai Ladoo
- First, crumble the paneer. If you are using store-bought paneer, grate it.
- Take crumbled paneer and cardamom powder in a blending jar and blend until smooth. You can also do this by hand, I prefer blending.
- Now add the mawa and kewra water if adding and pulse 1 to 2 times. (If you are using store-bought paneer and mawa, you may need to add a little milk or condensed milk.)
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Apply some ghee on your palms, take small or medium portions and shape into ladoos.
- You can garnish these ladoos with chopped pistachios, almonds, or cashews.
- Serve malai ladoo straight away or refrigerate and serve them later. These ladoos stay good for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
If you try this recipe, please leave a feedback and rating. You can also tag me @spoonofflavor on Instagram.
Malai Ladoo | Malai Laddu | Paneer Ladoo
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
For Paneer/Chenna
- 4 cups or 1 litre milk full cream
- 2 tablespoon vinegar or as required
For Khoya/Mawa
- ½ teaspoon ghee/clarified butter
- ¼ cup milk full cream
- ¾ cup milk powder/dairy whitener full cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar or as needed
Other Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 2 drops kewra essence optional
Instructions
Preparing the Paneer
- Heat milk in a nonstick pan or heavy bottom pan over medium flame. Let the milk come to a boil.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add ½ cup of fresh water to the milk. This makes the curdling process faster.
- Start adding vinegar little by little, and stir until the milk curdles completely. Alternatively, you can use lime juice or curd.
- Line a cloth over a colander and drain the curdled milk. Rinse it with some fresh water to get rid of the vinegar taste.
- Squeeze water tightly from the cloth and then let it hang for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preparing the Instant Mawa
- Heat a nonstick pan or heavy bottom pan in low flame. Add milk and ghee followed by sugar and milk powder while stirring continuously to get a smooth mixture. Replace milk powder with grated khoya, if using store-bought khoya.
- Keep stirring until the mixture completely leaves the sides of the pan and becomes a mass.
- Instant mawa is ready. Turn off the flame, transfer the mawa to a plate and let it slightly cools down.
Making Malai Ladoo
- First crumble the paneer. If you are using store-bought paneer, grate it.
- Take crumbled paneer and cardamom powder in a blending jar and blend until smooth. You can also do this by hand, I prefer blending.
- Now add the mawa and kewra essence and pulse 1 to 2 times. (If you are using store-bought paneer and mawa, you may need to add a little milk or condensed milk.)
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Apply some ghee on your palms, take small or medium portions and shape into ladoos.
- You can garnish these ladoos with chopped pistachios, almonds, or cashews.
- Serve malai ladoo straight away or refrigerate and serve them later. These ladoos stay good for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
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