Round, golden dumplings made from semolina, coconut, and cardamom, deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup. These festive sweets are essential at Comorian celebrations and a beloved everyday treat.
Ingredients
2 cups fine semolina
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
200ml coconut milk
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For syrup: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon rose water
Instructions
1Mix semolina, coconut, sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg in a bowl.
2Add coconut milk gradually, mixing until a soft dough forms that holds its shape.
3Roll into walnut-sized balls.
4Make the syrup: boil sugar and water for 5 minutes until slightly thick. Add rose water. Set aside.
5Heat oil to 170C (340F). Fry dumplings in batches for 4-5 minutes until deep golden.
6Drain on paper towels, then dip each ball briefly in warm sugar syrup.
7Serve warm or at room temperature.
Did You Know?
Ladu shares its name with the Indian ladoo, evidence of the deep culinary connections between the Comoros and South Asia forged through centuries of Indian Ocean trade.