RASMALAI

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time : 20-30 minutes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:
For flat balls or rasgulla
1 kg Milk Whole (preferably cows milk)
4-5 tbsp Curd or 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice or Vinegar
4 cups water
1 cup sugar

For the syrup:
1 kg milk full cream
1/2 cup sugar or as per taste
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Saffron – Few strands (optional)


Method:
Flat balls or rasgulla

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 flat paneer balls in the syrup. Do not add many flat 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 flat balls in a big vessel under lid for 4 minutes on full flame and then 8 minutes on slow flame. Let the rasgulla come to a room temperature.

For the syrup

1. Boil the full cream milk in a pan and cook till it is reduced to half of its quantity stirring continuously and scrapping the sides after short intervals.
2. Now add sugar and cook further for 5 more minutes then add saffron and cardamom powder to the syrup.If you like the lumps of cream then let it be like that otherwise beat it for a while with the help of a blender.

Assembling:

1. When rasgullas and the syrup become cool squeese the rasgullas lightly and place them in the serving bowl then pour the syrup over the rasgullas and refrigerate. 
2. 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 paneer will make a layer of oil 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.
5. You can make the syrup using condensed milk and boiled milk.