RASMALAI (INDIAN SWEET SPECIALLY POPULAR IN WEST BENGAL,EASTERN PART OF INDIA )FLAT SHAPED PANEER OR COTTAGE CHEESE BALL SOAKED INTO CREAMY, SAFFRON FLAVORED MILK.

Happy Dusshera to all my readers...this is the last date of Navratri.We  bengali celebrate  this day as Vijaya dashami..
This day marks the end of Durga Puja, people immerse the idols  of goddess Durga  into the rivers and go to each others' house and exchange sweets and vijaya greetings.  This day, the married women folk gather around the deity and smear her and themselves with sindur.To celebrate  this occasion, I am presenting  very popular  Indian sweets Rasmalai.



Rasmalai or 'Rosomalai'(in bengali )is a very popular  Bengali  sweet, now it is also popular  in through out the India  also in Pakistan  and Bangladesh.  In Rasmalai, flat shaped spongy rasgullas or dumpling made with paneer  or cottage or ricotta cheese  soaked in sweet, thickened, chilled and saffron flavored milk.

Ras malai is believed to have originated inWest Bengal and was invented by K.C. Das in the year 1930.[Source-Wiki ]
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Author - Moumita 
Preparation Time - 10 Minutes 
Cooking Time - 40 Minutes 
Servings - 12-15 Pieces 
Recipe Category - Indian Sweet  (Bengali ) 
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We can divide  the methods of making Rasmalai  into 3 steps .

1.Preparing Chena or Paneer or Cottage cheese 

2.Preparing Rasmalai Patties  or Flat Shaped Dumplings Made With Paneer or Cottage Cheese Ball 

3 . Preparation Rasmalai Radbi or  Creamy,Saffron  Flavored  Milk in which Rasmalai  patties  will be immersed.



1.PREPARING CHENA OR PANEER OR COTTAGE CHEESE .


Ingredients Of Making Chena or Paneer or Cottage Cheese 
 Cow Milk- 2Ltr
Lemon Juice-1 full lemon or Vinegar -2tsp (if required add more lemon juice or vinegar )
Sooji or Semolina -1tsp (optional )

Method Of Making Chena or Paneer or Cottage Cheese 

Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add milk

Bring it to  boil and keep stirring to avoid burning of milk..

Once the milk comes to boil, simmer the gas, start adding the lemon juice and keep stirring( if required,add more lemon juice) cook for few seconds until the milk solids gets separates from the whey. Switch off the heat.

Pour this curdled milk to the already lined muslin cloth over a strainer,squeeze out all the whey water then  rinse   chena under the tap water  as much as possible....if you do not rinse the chena or paneer  proper. .you will  get the smell  of lemon while having it.

Now hang the cloth covered  chena or paneer tap for 30 minutes. Then remove it from tap and place a heavy weight on chena for another 30 minutes. It will help to squeeze  more water from chena or paneer .


After that, remove the cheesecloth from the chenna or paneer.

The chena or paneer should not have too much moisture nor be too dry.


2.PREPARING  RASMALAI PATTIES OR FLAT SHAPED DUMPLINGS MADE WITH PANEER OR COTTAGE CHEESE 

Ingredients Of Making Rasmalai Patties Or Flat Shaped Dumplings Made With Paneer or Cottage Cheese. 

Homemade  Chena or Paneer or Cottage Cheese-1.5 cup

Sooji or Semolina -1tsp (optional )

Water-3cups

Sugar-2cups

Rose Water-1/2tsp


Method Of Making  Rasmalai Patties Or Flat Shaped Dumplings Made With Paneer or Cottage Cheese 

Take the paneer in a wider plate

Add 1 tsp sooji or rava or semolina, adding sooji or semolina helps to bind the mixture.

 First mix the sooji with chenna and then begin to knead for 5 minutes


Knead it well  with your palms for 5 to 6 minutes  to get smooth texture.


This kneading process is very important and it decides the texture of rasmalai.

Divide  the chena or paneer or cottage cheese into equal portions and roll into balls and then press lightly to make patties, taking care that there are no cracks.

Prepare all the rasmalai patties  in  this way.


In the mean while making  sugar syrup
Take a  large pan, take 2  cups sugar and 3 cups water....and bring it to boil.

You have to use a large pot or pan so that there is enough space for the rasmalai to cook and increase in size.

Mix and continue  stir the sugar syrup  until it will be dissolved....do this process on medium  flame.


When  the  sugar syrup will start to boiling. ..drop Rasmalai Patties gently to the sugar syrup ...drop patties according  to the size of your pan. ..rasmalais  need more space to be cooked...the size of the rasmalais   will be doubled  on cooking  on sugar syrup.

Cover the vessel with  lid......cook 25 minutes on medium flame .Open the lid and gently stir every 5 minutes to ensure  even cooking and  puffing.


Turn off the gas, transfer he  Rasmalai Patties  into a serving bowl without sugar syrup.. let them be cool.After cooling down you can  press the rasmalai patties  in your palms. be gentle and don’t apply too much of pressure, as then the rasgullas will break. there should be no sugar syrup in the Rasmalais.

3.PREPARING  RASMALAI RABDI OR CREAMY , SAFFRON FLAVORED MILK. 

Ingredients Of Making Rasmalai  Rabdi or Creamy Saffron Flavored Milk 

 Cow Milk-1ltr

Sugar -1/4cup..can add more if required

Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp

A pinch of saffron soaked  in 1tsp warm milk

Rose water -1tsp or a drop  of rose essence

Saffron Strands -few

Almonds(soaked and peeled)-10 cut into thin sliced

Cashew nuts -5 (sliced )

Pistachios  or Pesta-5(sliced)

Method Of Making Rasmalai Rabdi or Creamy Saffron Flavored Milk 


Heat milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil..when  milk will start boiling. .reduce the heat to medium. 

Stir continuously to keep milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel..

Add sugar and stir till it dissolves. and add saffron soaked  milk..add cardamom  powder.

Cook until  it's volume is reduced to half portion

Simmer the gas and drop rasmalai patties  into this milk gently..

Add 3/4th portion of chopped  dry fruits.

Cook for 3-4 minutes  on low flame.

Switch off the heat, transfer the Rasmalai to the serving bow one by one with spatula,pour the milk on them...let them come to room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

After 3-4 hours, take out from fridge,garnish  rasmalai with saffron strands  and 1/4th chopped  dry fruits...and serve.




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