Ras Gulla Indian Cheese Balls In Sugar Syrup Food

RASGULLA RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring the milk to boil over medium flame. Mix lemon juice with 2 tablespoons water.
• When milk comes to rolling boil, add water-lemon juice mixture gradually and stir continuously using spatula. Solid milk portion and liquid whey portion will start to separate within minute or two. When it separates completely, turn off the flame. Spread a cheese-cloth (plain muslin cloth) over large strainer or colander and transfer over it and drain the whey. Rinse it in running water or pour 2-3 glasses of plain water over it to remove sourness (lemony taste).
• Drain water and tie chhena in a muslin cloth. Squeeze it gently to drain the excess water and hang it for 30 minutes to get the right amount of moisture. Do not hang it for more than 30 to 45 minutes.
• Untie the muslin cloth and transfer chhena to a plate.
• Crumble it with hand. It should be crumbly and little moist. If it is too dry, rasgulla will turn hard and if it is too soft, they will break while cooking and will not retain their shape after cooking.
• Knead it using hand until it all comes together like dough and it starts to release some fat. Your palm will turn little greasy; it's an indication that it has started to release fat. Stop kneading after that.
• Make 13-15 small balls from kneaded paneer dough. The size of balls will increase to almost double after boiling in sugar syrup in next step so do not make very large balls.
• Heat 1½ cups sugar with 4-cups water and cardamom pods in a large broad vessel (having lid) like pressure cooker or saucepan over medium flame and make sugar syrup.
• When it comes to rolling boil, gently drop prepared balls in it.
• Cover it with a lid and let it cook over medium flame. If you are using pressure cooker, just put the lid over cooker, do not use whistle.
• After about 5-minutes, remove the lid and stir it gently with a spatula. Again, cover it with a lid and let it boil over medium flame for 7-8 minutes, stir it gently once in between. Remove lid and turn off the flame. You will notice that size of balls has increased to almost double.
• They will shrink a little after turning off the flame but it is normal. (If it shrinks too much then its an indication that something has gone wrong.) Transfer them to a large bowl and let them cool for 5-6 hours. Rasgulla are now ready for serving.

RASGULLA AND/OR RASMALAI (AN INDIAN DESSERT)

Steps:

• FOR RASGULLA:.
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and boil milk. Once its boiled, slowly add the lemon juice and you will find that the milk will curdle and the whey will separate. The whey will become clear which is an indication that the milk has curdled completely. Immediately add about 10-12 ice cubes and turn off flame. Leave aside for 3-4 minutes.
• Strain the whey and add the chenna to a damp cheese cloth or a light cotton cloth. Gather the four corners of the cloth and twist it gently and rinse under cold water to remove the sourness of the lemon juice. Tie the ends and hang it at a height and allow the whey from the chenna to drain completely. Leave aside for 30 minutes.
• Remove the chenna onto a wide plate. Now knead it gently for 7 minutes till there is no trace of moisture and is absolutely soft on touch. This is a very crucial step in the process of rasgulla making.
• While you are kneading the chenna, prepare the sugar syrup. Place a pressure cooker on the stove and add water and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring it to a rolling boil. Add a pinch of cardamom pwd.
• While the sugar syrup is cooking, make small smooth balls of the kneaded chenna. Ensure there are no cracks on the balls. Slowly add the chenna balls to the boiling sugar syrup. Place lid and pressure cook upto 1 whistle and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
• Turn off heat. Once the pressure is off, remove the lid. The balls will double in size and become light and springy on touch. If you feel that the balls are not cooked yet, place lid and cook for another 5 minutes without the whistle at medium heat.
• Remove onto a serving dish, bring to room temp, refrigerate and serve chilled along with sugar syrup at room temp OR proceed to prepare rasmalai.
• FOR RASMALAI:.
• Take a heavy bottomed vessel and add milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium flame and go on stirring on a constant basis for a good 30 minutes.
• Add the sugar syrup and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. Add the cardamom pwd, pistachios and saffron and combine. Boil for another 5 minutes.
• While the milk-sugar mixture is boiling, work on the rasagullas. Gently squeeze the rasgullas with a flat ladle such that it forms a patty shape and the syrup is drained out.
• Add the flattened rasgullas into the thickened milk and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. They will absorb the sweet syrup and Rasmalai is ready. Turn off heat and cool.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.

RAS GULLA (INDIAN CHEESE BALLS IN SUGAR SYRUP )

Steps:

• Bring milk to boil and add salt. Remove from heat and add yogurt into it. Stir gently until all the milk curdles. Strain the curdled milk in a thin muslin cloth. Squeeze gently until all the liquid is gone. You now have paneer.
• Put the paneer in a large bowl and knead with the palms of your hand until it becomes smooth and soft.
• Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and knead a few more minutes. Roll and shape into small balls, the size of a ping-pong ball.
• Dissolve the sugar in the water over gentle heat. Set aside half the syrup.
• Bring the other half to boil and gently slip in the balls of paneer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then raise the heat, adding a little water to thin the syrup if necessary. The rasgullas are done when the float to the surface.
• Drain and put them in the syrup that was set aside.
• Sprinkle with rose water.
• Serve cold.