Quick and Healthy Date Rolls

(Khajoor Laadoo in Marathi)
It was about 5 years ago I had started eating only raw food. I got bored eating just fruits as dessert and needed something that was bit sweeter and not 'fruity'. I always stocked different varieties of nuts and dates at the time. This was something I came up in a jiffy one day for a friend who came over for tea. Its been a staple at my place ever since. Instant gratification without any added sweetener, it can't go better than that!

I am sharing this quick simple and crowd-pleaser dessert for Diwali!

Khajoor Laddoo


1 cup mixed nuts (Almonds, cashews, walnuts)
1 cup Medjol dates
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
4 tbsp dried dessicated coconut (optional)



Procedure -
Roast poppy seeds on low flame. Powder roasted poppy seeds in grinder.
Coarsely powder mixed nuts in food processor. This should yield about one and half cup of powder. Set the powder aside.
Now remove seeds from the dates and coarsely grind them in the food processor.
When the ground dates start forming a ball, add powdered poppy seeds, dried coconut and powdered nuts. Start pulsing the food processor until the mixture starts looking like crumbles.
Remove the mixture from food processor and make a on1 inch thick long roll. Cut roll into one inch pieces and then roll each ball into a ball shape.
These stay fresh for more than a month.

Variations -

1. You can use 1/2 cup dates and 1/2 cup dried figs and make date-fig rolls.
2. Instead of adding dessicated coconut in the mixture, roll balls in the coconut powder.
3. You can 5 tbsp add cocoa powder to the in the crumbled mixture and then roll balls in the cocoa powder and make chocolate truffles.
   
4. You can add 1 tsp cardamom powder to the mixture.