Cooking with Shail

Hey all!! Here is another Bengali sweet recipe called Rasmalai. Rasmalai basically is Chenna/ Cottage Cheese/Paneer balls dipped in flavored and creamy milk. It tastes very yummy and the chenna balls are so soft they will just melt in your mouth. The process for making this is elaborate but the end result is very delicious. Without further ado note down the recipe….

Ingredients:

Milk – 2 liters

Vinegar/ lemon juice- 2 tbsp

Elaichi Powder/Cardamom Powder- 2 tsp

Chopped mixed nuts (Cashewnuts, Almonds, Pistachios) – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 1 1/4 cup

Water – 4 cups

Cream/Malai – 2 tbsp

Kesar – a few strands

Method:

For chenna/rasmalai discs-

1) Add 1 liter milk in a heavy bottom pan/vessel and bring to boil while stirring continuously on medium flame. It is necessary to stir so that the milk does not stick to the bottom.

2) Once the milk starts boiling add the vinegar/lemon juice and take off the gas. Stir continuously the milk will start to curdle. In few minutes the milk will have completely curdled. If required add some more lemon juice. This is chenna/paneer.

3) Pour the curdled milk through a sieve and wash the paneer/chenna.

4) Tie this paneer/chenna in a muslin cloth for 15 mins. The paneer/chenna should not be tied for too long as moisture is not to be drained completely.

5) Take this paneer/chenna on a flat surface and start kneading. Knead gently with finger and palm. Add the 1 tsp elaichi powder. Keep kneading till it forms into a dough. The chenna/paneer will start losing oil. Make small balls out of the dough (approx 12 balls) and flatten them in between the palms gently and make discs out of these balls and see that there are no cracks in it.

6) Cover the discs with a wet cloth and keep aside for 10 mins.

For Sugar Syrup:

1) In a broad heavy bottom vessel add the water and 1/2 cup sugar and bring it to boil on high flame.

2) Once the water starts boiling gently add the chenna/paneer discs as prepared.

4) The flame should constantly be at high. Cover the vessel and let the chenna/paneer discs cook for 15 mins.

5) After 15 mins the size of the chenna/paneer discs will have doubled. Switch of the gas and let the discs rest in the syrup till room temperature.

For the Milk:

1) In a deep bottomed wide pan (make sure to use a wide pan so that it is easier to stir the milk and the milk does not stick to the bottom) take the remaining 1 liter milk and let it come to one boil on high flame.

2) Now add the kesar strands and elaichi powder and stir well. Lower the flame to medium at this stage and add the remaining sugar.

3) Let the milk boil on medium flame for around 10 mins. Add the cream/malai, chopped mixed nuts and let it boil for another 5 minutes.

7) Turn of the flame and now let the milk cool down to room temperature. Now add the chenna/paneer discs in this milk (add only the discs not the syrup).

8) Let them soak in the milk. Keep in fridge to chill. Serve cool garnished with chopped nuts.