RASGULLA

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves: 15

Ingredients:

1 kg Milk Whole (preferabaly cows milk)
4-5 tbsp Curd or 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice or Vinegar
4 cups water
1+1/2  cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder or rose essence
Saffron – Few strands (optional)

Method:

1. Set the milk in a pan  to boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally and make sure not to burn the milk.
2. When the milk comes to a boil, sim the fire and pour the curd or lemon juice gradually into it and keep stirring. Reduce the heat and stir continuously until the milk completely separates into curds and whey if required add more curd or lemon juice.
3. Remove from fire and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. Do not stir it.
4. Now place a clean muslin cloth over a strainer. Rest the strainer over a large vessel and strain the curdled milk through the muslin cloth.
5. Then, hold it under running water for a minute so that the smell and sourness of the curdling agent goes away. Now, gather the corners of the muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess water as much as you can.
6. Hang the muslin cloth either on the kitchen sink tap. Leave it as such at least for half an hours, and the excess whey will drain out completely.
7. When the water is completely drained out, remove the cheese from the cloth and put it in a bowl. Make sure the cheese does not dry out completely because it should be soft and moist.
8. Now knead the cheese well with your fingers for 8-10 minutes. The right consistency to make cheese balls is when you roll  it into balls the balls should be very smooth without any cracks or holes.Kneading is very important as it will make the rasgullas smooth and spongy.
9. Bring the water to boil in a pressure cooker or in a big vessel, Add 1 cup sugar and boil until the sugar completely dissolves.Now start adding paneer balls in the syrup. Do not add many balls as it should have enough space to double its size.Cook for one whistle and then keep it in sim for 10 more minutes.Or cook the balls in a big vessel under lid for 4 minutes on full flame and then 8 minutes on slow flame. 
10. If the rasgullas are sweet enough then it is O.K. otherwise take out some of the syrup in another pan and dessolve 1/2 cup sugar in it and mix it with the rasgullas. 
11. Now add the saffron and cardamom powder or rose water to the syrup. Let the rasgulla come to a room temperature. Now, transfer the rasgullas to a serving bowl and refrigerate. Serve cold.

Notes:

1. If you wish you can keep the milk aside for cooling for  an hour after it boils but d'not refrigerate it and remove the cream otherwise the oil present in rasgullas will make a layer over the syrup when you keep the prepared rasgullas in fridge for cooling. 
2. To test whether the rasgullas are cooked or not take rasgulla in a spoon, if you press the Rasgulla and if it springs back and retains its shape, Rasgulla has passed the test. Another test is drop a Rasgulla in a bowl of cold water. If it sinks to the bottom, it is cooked.
3. If you find it difficult to knead the cheese and making balls, dust little maida (more or less 1 tbsp) and then knead to form balls. Adding maida is optional.
4. Softness of cheese depends largely on  fat content in the milk.