Rasgulla

Really? Is it that easy to make rasgullas??

If I tell you that the paneer / cheese from curdled milk, if kneaded well and then poached in sugar syrup, is the recipe for rasgulla, would you believe me?

Let's make rasmalai another day. Today I will show / tell you how I made my rasgullas.
I have underlined the important points you have to be careful about. It is an easy recipe, so don't worry.

Recipe courtesy : Mrs. Pushkala Mani
She uses 4 litres of milk which yields her nearly 80-100 rasgullas depending on the size of the rolled balls. I made with 1 litre and got 25 rasgullas.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 litre

for curdling milk:

Curd - 6 to 8 tbsp (or)
Lemon juice - 1-2 tbsp

For kneading with paneer:

Rava / semolina - 1/2 tsp

Maida / all purpose flour- 1/8 tsp

For poaching:

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 4 cups

Rose water / cardamom powder / strands of saffron - optional - for flavor

Method:

Boil milk and add the curd / lime juice in a diluted form, by the spoonful till the milk curdles.

Use a thin muslin cloth over a sieve to separate the cheese / paneer from the whey.

Wash this paneer (inside the cloth) under running water for 1 minute and squeeze.

Hang the cloth with the paneer to drain out excess water. There is no need to put any weight over the cheese.

After 20 minutes, take out the paneer and add the maida and rava to it.

Knead. Knead well with your knuckles. This is the MOST IMPORTANT STEP.

The kneaded dough must start giving out it's oil and you must be able to make a cohesive ball.

Start boiling the 4 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar in a large vessel which will have ample space to accommodate all the paneer balls.

Make small perfect balls with the kneaded dough.

Tip: You can keep a pinch of sugar inside each ball. This enhances the sweetness of the paneer balls and also as this sugar melts on cooking, it creates an air pocket.

When the water starts boiling add in the balls one by one.

Keep the water boiling on a steady medium flame and cook covered for 20 minutes. Do not increase or decrease flame as any fluctuation in temperature affects the 'look' of the rasgullas.

After 20 minutes, turn off flame and add the rose water / cardamom / saffron, if using.

Look at how they have expanded!!

To check if your rasgullas are ready, pick one and add to a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom, then it is cooked. Otherwise boil covered for a further 5 minutes.

Cool to room temperature and taste your lovely rasgullas!!