Rasmalai: Make this tender recipe at home

Rasmalai is a popular Indian dessert that originated in West Bengal and is loved by people all over the country. It is a delicious and also a rich dessert made with soft and spongy cottage cheese balls that are soaked in a creamy and sweet milk syrup.

In this recipe, we will show you how to make Rasmalai at home.

Ingredients:

1 litre full-fat milk
1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
4-5 strands of saffron
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp rose water
Also some Slivered almonds and pistachios for garnish

Instructions:

Making the cottage cheese balls (chenna): In a large pot, heat the milk over medium-high heat. Once the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add the juice of one lemon. Stir until the milk curdles and the whey separates from the milk solids.
Strain the curdled milk through a muslin cloth or a cheesecloth to separate the chenna (cottage cheese) from the whey. Also, rinse the chenna under cold water to remove any traces of lemon juice. Squeeze out any excess water and hang the chenna for about 30 minutes to drain out any remaining water.
After 30 minutes, remove the chenna from the muslin cloth and knead it well with your hands until it becomes smooth and soft. Divide the chenna into small balls and flatten them slightly to make round discs.
In a separate pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, add the chenna balls to the syrup and let them simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cover the pot and let the chenna balls cook in the syrup for another 10 minutes until they are soft and spongy.
Turn off the heat and add the rose water, saffron in addition with crushed cardamom pods to the syrup. Mix well and let it cool to room temperature.
Once the syrup has cooled down, transfer the chenna balls along with the syrup to a container and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
Before serving, garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios.

Your homemade rasmalai is ready to be served! Enjoy the delicious combination of soft and spongy chenna balls soaked in a sweet and creamy milk syrup.