Ras Malai Recipe

A superlative Royal Indian dessert. Super soft and mouth melting and droolious. Just prefect dessert for Festivals and special occasions. It is made of fresh cottage cheese inserted in saffron infused milk and is very yummy.It is a bit tricky to make as a lot of technique is involved in it. Sharing with you a simple no fail recipe which all of you will be able to make!

Ingredients for rasgulla:

• 1 litre Cow’s Milk or Toned Packet Milk
• 1 Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Sugar

Ingredients for Milk Syrup:

• 1 litre Full Cream Milk.
• 1/2 can of Condensed Milk
• 1 pinch Saffron (Kesar)
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder (Elaichi Powder)
• 1 tblsp finely chopped Pistachios (Pista)

How to Make Flavored Milk Syrup :

1. First prepare the milk syrup and then the rasgullas.
2. Lets make the flavoured milk syrup.
3. Take the 1 litre milk under the syrup section in a heavy bottom pan.
4. On a low flame allow it to simmer and thicken to half its quantity.
5. When its almost done, add 1/2 can of condensed milk.
6. Add some sugar to adjust sweetness.
7. Add the kesar, elaichi, gulab jal to the milk syrup.
8. Switch off the flame and let it cool to room temperature.

How to Make Rasgolla :

1. In a pan put the milk for chenna (paneer) to boil.
2. Line a pan with with a muslin cloth to strain the paneer.
3. On the side, squeeze juice of lemon and dissolve it in 2 tblsp of water to dilute it.
4. When the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it rest for 5 minutes and then very gently and gradually spoon by spoon add the lemon solution to the milk and stir gently.
5. When the milk curdles, discard the remaining lemon solution.
6. Strain the chenna (paneer ) on the lined muslin cloth. It is IMPORTANT – Do not delay the draining out of the chhena.
7. Throw away all the whey and gather the paneer formed. Now wash the cheena under running water to cool and to remove the taste of the lemon.
8. Sqeeze gently to drain out excess water.
9. Wrap the cheena in the muslin cloth and put a weight on top of it and let it rest for about 30 – 40 minutes so that all the water is removed. But do not over dry or the chena will lose all the moisture. The chena should be crumbly that when you chena is ready.
10. Now heat 4 cups of water in a wide mouth pan and let it boil. Once the water begins to boil add the sugar and make sure it gets dissolved.
11. Meanwhile take out the chena in a large plate, and with the heel of your palm, knead it well for at least 7-8 minutes ( set a timer for this)
12. Once the oil begins to release thats when the chena is ready.
13. Now make into 1 inch small balls ensuring there are no cracks. you can make 12 small balls.
14. Do not make big balls as these balls will increase 2 – 3 times in size on boiling.
15. Now increase the flame of the sugar syrup pan and on HIGH flame only put 6 chena balls one by one in it. Do not overcrowd as these balls will grow super big and they need space otherwise they will break if they hit each other.
16. Cover the lid and let them cook on high flame.
17. After 5 mins open the lid and flip all the balls once with a light hand. Close the lid again and let it cook for 15 mins more.
18. It is important that flame is always high.
19. After 15 mins take them out and put the next batch. Repeat the same process.

Assemble Rasmali:

1. Meanwhile the syrup will come to room temperature.
2. Put the rasgullas in the syrup and leave them to absorb the syrup for 5 – 6 hours in the fridge, and wait for the Rasmalai to become deliciously chilled!!

Enjoy your homemade Rasmali !!