Bengali sweets are a favorite for many, for the soft supple, juicy, syrupy taste. More often than not, it is widely believed that it is difficult to make some sweets at home. However, one look at this recipe and you'll know it couldn't have been easier. This rasgulla takes about 20 minutes for preparation and another ten minutes to get the end product - lovely white, spongy rasgullas.
For this recipe you'll need the following ingredients. There are many ways of making this sweet. After multiple trials with the various recipes, I realised this works best..
Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 8 minutes + 30 minutes cooling and final cooking
Servings : 10 big Rasgullas
Ingredients
Full Cream Milk - 1 litre (A note here : Nilgiris full cream milk works amazingly well. For those of you in other parts of the world - 12 tbsp full cream milk powder(I used NIDO) in 1 litre of water will give you good full cream milk.
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp diluted with 2 tbsp of water (Using lemon juice gives a slight lemony flavour while vinegar does not)
Sugar - 15 tbsp (5 tbsp + 10 tbsp)
Water - 3 cups i.e 600 ml (21/2 + 1/2)
Rose Essence - 2-3 drops (Optional)
Elaichi - a Pinch (Optional)
Materials
A colander
A muslin cloth (Dhoti / lining cloth of dresses would work well)
A wide vessel with a convenient lid
A Timer
Procedure
1. Heat the milk on medium to high flame. When it boils, switch off the flame.
2. After 1 minute, add the lemon juice mixture slowly little at a time and stir the milk till it separates. The whey water (Greenish colour) would separate completely(takes about 1/2 a minute).
2. After 1 minute, add the lemon juice mixture slowly little at a time and stir the milk till it separates. The whey water (Greenish colour) would separate completely(takes about 1/2 a minute).
3. Once it separates, immediately drain the water completely. Wash the paneer very well in running tap water to remove traces of the lemon juice.
4. Tie up the ends of the muslin cloth and hang it up in a suitable place. Let the water drain completely from the paneer. If you have the patience it will take about 30 minutes. I never wait that long. I use all my strength to extract the water completely by squeezing the cloth. This is quicker. A word of caution though. If it is a muslin cloth, well and good, but if you are using a lining cloth be careful because at times I have had the cloth actually tearing when I squeeze a bit too hard and the paneer spilling all over.
5. With all the water drained the paneer will look like a ball. Crumble it and start kneading it. If you find the paneer smearing on your hands, it means the water is not completely drained. Drain again and start.
6. The kneading is best done with your hands for 7-8 minutes. Do it as you would mix rice, mash with your inner palm, push it away from you, roll it, press it and repeat this action till you feel your hands getting oily and the paneer getting softer. For those of you uncomfortable doing this, you could use a food processor / mixie jar which would do it in a minute.
7. This is when the paneer is ready to get cooked. Make small gooseberry size balls or bigger - as you prefer. Remember these balls double in size, so shape them accordingly. The texture of the rasgulla also depends on how you make the balls. While making the balls, roll them using your right hand pointer finger and tall finger on the palm of your left hand. This way there isn't too much pressure. This may take some time but this will only help your paneer balls double in size. Else they will turn out hard. The concept is that you need to give paneer balls the space inside to double up and not make it too dense.
8. Heat water(21/2) and sugar(5 tbsp) in a wide bottomed vessel on a high flame. I prefer to use a 3 litre cooker. Once the sugar dissolves, add the prepared paneer balls one by one, cover the pressure cooker, place the whistle and continue to cook on high flame till 1 whistle. After the first whistle, simmer for 5 minutes(With a countdown timer)
9. Switch off the flame after 5 minutes and let the cooker cool automatically. This might take about 20 minutes
10. Open the cooker, transfer the rasgulla balls to another vessel without much syrup.
11. In the same syrup, add some more water(1/2cup) and sugar(10 tbsp) and boil till slightly syrupy (the syrup should just start getting sticky when felt between your thumb and forefinger.
12. After the syrup comes to room temperature, add the syrup to the rasgulla balls.
13. You could add the rose essence / Cardamom (Elaichi) at this point. I prefer the rose essence. You could use anything.
14. You rasgullas are ready but is best served chilled.10. Open the cooker, transfer the rasgulla balls to another vessel without much syrup.
11. In the same syrup, add some more water(1/2cup) and sugar(10 tbsp) and boil till slightly syrupy (the syrup should just start getting sticky when felt between your thumb and forefinger.
12. After the syrup comes to room temperature, add the syrup to the rasgulla balls.
13. You could add the rose essence / Cardamom (Elaichi) at this point. I prefer the rose essence. You could use anything.
Enjoy your rasgullas. You'll never buy the store ones ever :) !!!
Notes :
1. While curdling milk to make paneer, always remember not to use concentrated curdling agent. Whether it is lemon juice / vinegar, dilute it with a little water.
2. Never add the curdling agent when the milk is boiling. Once the milk boils, switch off the flame, wait for 1 minute and then add the curdling agent little at a time, and stir to check if it is enough. By doing this, you will avoid concentrating your paneer with other flavours. Also the paneer will be very soft.
3. While boiling the milk, keep stirring to avoid the malai forming. If malai forms, it affects the texture of the paneer.
4. You can use the separated whey water for making rasmalai or rasgullas again. They can stay fresh for upto a week. Before using it, you have to keep it out for a day for it to ferment.