Paneer ladoo or malai ladoo is a delicious and soft laddu recipe prepared with paneer and sweet condensed milk flavored with cardamom and saffron! Make this delicious sweet for any occasion to make it extra special!
A couple of weeks back, I shared a starter recipe with paneer, the tandoori paneer, and the main course, which is a great side dish for naan/roti, the paneer lababdar. And I wanted to share a dessert with paneer, and I couldn’t share then, so here I am, right on time for New Year, sharing this delicious paneer ladoo or malai ladoo.
Jump to:
Long back, I saw this paneer ladoo on Youtube and also came across the recipe on Milkmaid (sweet condensed milk brand) website, made a note to try it, and finally got a chance to make this paneer laddu.
Why you’ll love this paneer laddu
- This paneer laddu is a semi-homemade recipe and a 6-ingredient recipe, out of which two are flavor enhancers.
- The recipe is straightforward and beginner-friendly too. We blend all the ingredients and cook until it thickens so that we can shape them. The key is not-to-overcook, and I have provided the recipe with detailed step-wise pictures, which you can easily make without any issues.
- You can customize the flavors and also serve them in multiple ways. This laddu mixture forms an excellent base for dessert jars.
Using the paneer laddu in dessert jars
Dessert jars are becoming quite popular these days, and I have shared a couple, like baked boondi jars and badam halwa dessert jars. You can use this crumbled paneer laddu as a base for many dessert jars or the laddu itself as a topping for the dessert jars.
For my badam halwa dessert jar, I have chhena poda as the base; instead, you can use this paneer laddu too. I have quite a few ideas with these; I will share them soon during the Indian festival season.
Now let’s get back to the recipe.
Ingredients required
As I mentioned, this is a 6-ingredient laddu recipe, and here are the ingredients we need. Please check the recipe card for exact measurements.
Paneer: You can use homemade paneer for this laddu if time is pressing, and if you want to keep it quick, pick the excellent quality paneer from the store.
Sweet condensed milk: I used only sweet condensed milk and did not add sugar. Adjust the measure to taste.
Ground cardamom and saffron are flavor enhancers, and I love this combination. The yellow hue comes from saffron.
Milk and ghee: We need a small amount of milk to soak the saffron, which helps to bring the color nicely, and ghee to cook the paneer mixture.
Dietary specifications, yield, and storing suggestions:
This malai laddu is a nut-free and gluten-free dessert. You can also use nuts to garnish if you are not allergic to nuts. The below measure yields 10 to 12 medium-sized laddus, as shown in the picture.
Once the laddu has cooled down and firmed, you can store them in an air-tight container. So far, I have stored it for up to 3 days without refrigeration.
How to make paneer ladoo
- Warm the milk, add the saffron strands and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the grated paneer, soaked saffron with milk, condensed milk, and ground cardamom into a mixer jar.
- Blend it into a semi-smooth paste. You can also grind it smooth, but I did not grind the mix smooth as we prefer some texture.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan and add the ghee. Add the ground mixture and cook over medium-low heat when the ghee melts.
- The mixture will slowly thicken, and the laddu mix will turn yellow because of the saffron.
- Continue to cook until it comes together as a ball. It usually takes 8 to 10 minutes. (Timing differs, please keep an eye on the mix and don’t let it sit unattended) Take a small piece and see if you can make a ball like the one below. If yes, then turn off the heat and set it aside.
- When the mixture is warm, grease your palms with ghee, take a small amount of the paneer mix, and shape it into a small round ball. The mixture will be moist, and that’s ok. It will firm as it cools down.
- Similarly, prepare the other paneer laddu. After it firms up, you can gently roll them again for a smooth texture, but it’s optional. If you are rolling it second time, gently roll the laddu and don’t roll them too hard.
- If using nuts, garnish it with the nuts or saffron strands and enjoy.
VVK Tips
- After about 6 to 8 minutes, check for consistency and turn off the heat if you can make tiny balls, as shown above.
- If the laddu is breaking and not holding its shape when making balls, fret not; transfer the mixture to the pan and cook again for a couple of minutes but not more. Cooking the mixture for a long time makes the laddu hard. This paneer laddu is soft-textured. So, do not overcook.
- Use a room temperature paneer, and you can either grate the paneer or crumble the paneer.
- Cook the paneer ladoo mix over medium-low to low heat (on a number scale, 3). Keep stirring the mixture, and don’t leave it unattended.
- Start shaping the laddu when it is warm. You can also knead the malai/paneer mix for a smooth textured laddu.
Recipe Notes
- Adjust the condensed milk measure to taste.
- You can add two to three drops of kewra water for added flavor.
- Instead of saffron and cardamom, you can use rose syrup or other flavors.
Explore more paneer recipes
Loved this recipe?
If you try this paneer ladoo, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
Paneer Ladoo | Malai Kesar Laddu
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp saffron strands
- 200 grams paneer grated
- ½ cup sweet condensed milk
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tbsp ghee
- nuts to garnish optional
Instructions
- Warm the milk, add the saffron strands and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the grated paneer, soaked saffron with milk, condensed milk, and ground cardamom into a mixer jar.
- Blend it into a semi-smooth paste. You can also grind it smooth, but I did not grind the mix smooth as we prefer some texture.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan and add the ghee. Add the ground mixture and cook over medium-low heat when the ghee melts.
- The mixture will slowly thicken, and the laddu mix will turn yellow because of the saffron.
- Continue to cook until it comes together as a ball. It usually takes 8 to 10 minutes. (Timing differs, please keep an eye on the mix and don’t let it sit unattended) Take a small piece and see if you can make a ball like the one below. If yes, then turn off the heat and set it aside.
- When the mixture is warm, grease your palms with ghee, take a small amount of the paneer mix, and shape it into a small round ball. The mixture will be moist, and that's ok. It will firm as it cools down. Similarly, prepare the other paneer laddu. After it firms up, you can gently roll them again for a smooth texture, but it's optional. If you are rolling it second time, gently roll the laddu and don't roll them too hard.
- If using nuts, garnish it with the nuts and enjoy. I simply garnished the laddu with saffron strands.
Notes
- Adjust the condensed milk measure to taste.
- You can add two to three drops of kewra water for added flavor.
- Instead of saffron and cardamom, you can use rose syrup or other flavors.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
This ladoo is so easy to make and was a delicious dessert for a weekend party at home.
Absolutely. Thanks Usha.
I am literally drooling and being in the ladoo mode, I want to try this right away. Lately, I have started making my own paneer, and quite a few times my paneer does not set too well. I have one batch like that and it is going to be perfect for this paneer ladoo.
Homemade paneer is perfect for this ladoo.
That’s a delicious ladoo vidhya! It has got all my favorite ingredient. Love such quick and easy to make treats. I m sure both my kids would love this malai treat!
Thanks so much.