Kesar Rasmalai

Rasmalai is a Bengali dessert consisting of soft paneer balls immersed in chilled creamy milk flavored with cardamom powder. Like Rasgullas, Rasmalai is also made with homemade cheese known as “paneer” or “chana”. This is very delicious and easy dessert.It tastes best after refrigerating and serve chilled.

Ingredients:

For malai :
Milk- 4 cups
Lemon juice dissolved in water- 2 tbsp lemon juice dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
Water- 4 cups
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

For ras :

Milk- 3 cups or use 2 cups half and half milk ( for creamy rasmalai)
Sugar- 1 1/4 cup
Sliced almonds and pistachios- 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
Saffron-1/8 tsp

Method for malai:

1. Heat milk in a pan and bring it to boil for about 8-10 minutes.
2. When it starts boiling, add lemon juice and wait for the milk to curdle completely.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour over a thin muslin/cotton cloth and tie it with a tight knot. On straining this milk, the curd is obtained is called "paneer". Wash paneer well using muslin cloth under cold running water to remove lemon juice flavor.
5. Knead paneer for about 5-7 minutes to make a smooth dough.
6. Make round shape flat balls (disc) of about 1 inch in size (8-10) of the dough and keep aside.
7. Next make sugar syrup. Mix sugar, water and cardamom powder in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
8. Add paneer disc to the hot syrup on a medium heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes with lid partially covered.
9. Make sure the pan is large enough to accommodate the finished malais, as they will expand to about double in the volume while cooking in the syrup.
10. Remove the paneer disc from the sugar syrup carefully and let it cool.

Recipe for Ras (the rasmalai syrup)

1. Add milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Boil this on over low flame for about 10-12 minutes.
2. Now add sugar, cardamom powder , saffron and bring it to boil for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Keep on stirring continuously, until it is reduced to thick consistency.(It should be reduced to 2 cups of milk).
4. Let the milk cool down for about 3 minutes. Then add malais one by one to the milk mixture and garnish with almonds and pistachios.
5. Refrigerate for about 6-8 hours.
6. Serve chilled.

Variation:

MANGO RASMALAI : In the above recipe, add ¼ cup mango purée to the saffron flavored milk. Garnish with fresh mango slices.

This recipe is reaching Srivalli's Mithai Mela