Rasmalai

Rasgulla in sweetened milk.

The process of making Rasgullas and rasmalai is the same.

Deviation from Rasgulla making:

1. When you knead the dough, add a pinch of yellow food color.

2. Do not make small balls. Make small, slightly flattened thick circles.
(I got 16 thick circles from 1 litre milk)

3. Once the rasgulla gets cooked in the sugar syrup, taken them out carefully, cool and squeeze out softly , using the palms of both hands, the extra sugar syrup.

Ingredients for sweetened milk (rabdi):
Milk - 500 ml
Sugar - 6 tbsp
Saffron - 1 pinch
Almonds - 10
Cardamom essence - 2 drops (or) Cardamom - seeds of 2, powdered

Method to prepare sweetened milk:

1. Place the almonds in a microwave safe bowl and add enough water to submerge it. Microwave high for 1 minute. Cool and remove skin. Slice into long thin pieces.
(If you do not have a microwave, then simply soak the almonds in hot water for 1 hour. Peel and slice.)
2. Boil the milk.
3. Move 2 tbsp into a separate bowl and add the saffron strands to this.
4. Into the boiling milk add the sugar and continue cooking till it reduces a bit.
5. Now add the cardamom essence and saffron. Mix well.
6. Add the squeezed rasgullas to this and boil on low flame for 2 minutes.
7. Turn off flame and add some or all of the sliced almonds.

Cool to room temperature and refridgerate for at least 2 hours before serving.