Ras Malai, Rasmalai, Bengali Dessert
Rasmalai is a Bengali dessert consisting of soft paneer balls immersed in chilled creamy milk. Like Rasgullas, Rasmalai is also made with homemade cheese known as "paneer" or "chana". Instead of being soaked in sugar syrup like Rasgullas, Rasmalai is soaked in sweet, flavored milk.
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
For Patties
- 4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 4-1/2 cups water
Milk For Rasmalai
- 3 cups milk
- 2-1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp crushed cardamom
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds and pistachios to garnish
Instructions
Making Paneer
- Mix lemon juice in half a cup of hot water and keep aside.
- Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed over medium-high heat, stirring frequently making sure milk do not burn on the bottom of the pan.
- As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice slowly and stir the milk gently. The curd will start separating from the whey, turn off the heat.
- Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer line with cheesecloth or muslin cloth.
- Wrap the curd in a muslin cloth, rince under cold water, and squeeze well. This process takes out the sourness from the lemon.
- To take out the excess water squeeze the cloth, or press the wrapped paneer under a heavy pan for about one hour. Taking the right amount of water out of the paneer is the most important part of this recipe.
- To check if enough water is out of the paneer, take a little piece of paneer on your palm and rub with your fingers. After rubbing the paneer for about 15-20 seconds, you should be able to make a firm but smooth ball.
- Once the paneer is drained, place on a dry, clean surface and knead the paneer for 3-4 minutes until the paneer is almost rolls into smooth soft dough. Knead the paneer by dragging the palm of your hand hard on the paneer. Keep scooping it back to togather and knead more. Your palm will be little greasy.
Making the Rasmalai:
- Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll them in smooth balls.
- To make the balls apply some prassure at the first and then release when forming the balls, lightly press to make about 3/4" patty shape.
- Mix the sugar and water in a pressure cooker on medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add the paneer balls and close the pressure cooker. After the pressure cooker starts steaming, turn the heat to medium and cook for about seven minutes.
- Make sure the cooker is large enough to accommodate the finished rasgullas patties, as they will expand to about double in the volume while cooking in the syrup!
- Close the heat and wait a few minutes befor opening the pressure cooker. Pour cold water over the cooker before opening. Take out the patties from the syrup and squeeze them lightly,and keep aside.
- Boil the milk in a frying pan on medium heat until the milk reduce to about 2 cups. Make sure to frequently stir the milk as the milk burns easily in bottom of the pan.
- Add the sugar and the Rasmalai patties in milk. Let it cook for few minutes. Add the cardamom and mix in. Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios.
- Serve the Rasmalai chilled.