Servings
Prep Time
Cooking Time
INGREDIENTS
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1/2 Gallon of Whole Milk
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Juice of 1.5 lemon
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1 Tablespoon of Maida (All Purpose Flour)
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4 Cups of Water
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1 Cup of Sugar
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8-10 threads of saffron
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1 tablespoon of Rose Water
Rasgullas are soft, spongy and delicious and you just can’t stop at one!! India is home to desserts ranging from Rasgullas to Gulab Jamuns to Payasam, and the most popular desserts are made using milk and sugar. Rasgulla is an Indian syrupy dessert popular in the Indian subcontinent and regions with South Asian diaspora. It is made from ball shaped dumplings of chena and maida (All purpose Flour) dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar and Saffron. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings and it is finished topping it off with a dash of Rose Water.
What is “Chena”?
Chena is obtained from curdling the milk by using lemon juice or vinegar. The same steps are followed for making Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese). The chena is dried completely using a cheesecloth and once dry it is mashed , made smooth and then shaped into small balls for Rasgullas.
Can you prepare them in advance?
If you are planning on making Rasgullas, I would highly recommend to prepare them a day or two in advance. The longer they sit in the sugar syrup, the tastier they taste.
What type of milk should you use for preparing Chena?
To get the best results, you should use full fat milk/whole milk . The fattier the milk, the better the chena; hence, perfect Rasgullas. I have prepared them using 2 percent milk and even though they taste great, I prefer preparing them using full fat/whole milk.
Tips to make the Perfect Rasgullas
If you want soft, spongy and delicious Rasgullas each time, just follow some of the tips listed below and you will have perfect home made Rasgullas.
- It is critical not to rush the curdling process of the milk. Add the lemon juice in the milk slowly and continue to stir till the milk begins the curdle
- Once it has curdled, allow it cool in the pot before draining it in a colander
- The MAIN tip for soft and spongy Rasgullas is to make sure that you knead the chena and maida mixture for at least 10 minutes. When you make your Rasgulla balls, there should no cracks in the dough
- For the Sugar Syrup, the water to sugar ratio is 4:1. For every 4 cups of water, you will need 1 cup of sugar and it is prepared on high flame
- Keep the size of the Rasgullas balls small as they expand in water and will double in size
- Rasgullas should be dropped in the sugar water when the water is boiling and they should be cooked on high flame with the lid closed
- I have also provided step by step pictures below
- Heat milk in a deep and heavy dutch oven pot
TIP: In order to avoid the milk from scortching or burning, use a heat diffuser under the pot. - Once the milk reaches a boil, switch off the flame
- Slowly begin to add lemon juice in the milk while stirring the milk. Do not add the lemon juice all at once
- Once the milk begins curdling, allow it to cool for 5 minutes
- Drain the curdled milk using a cheesecloth. This is “Chena or “Paneer”
- Squeeze out as much water as possible by squeezing the cheesecloth and set it aside for 20-30 minutes till it is completely dry
- While the chena is resting, let’s prepare our syrup water. Using a deep and large pot, bring the water to a boil, add sugar, and let it boil for 10-15 minutes
- Using a large plate, empty out the dried chena, add in maida and start to knead this mixture like a dough for 10 minutes. Do not skip this step as this will ensure that your Rasgullas are soft and spongy
- Make small balls with the chena
- Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup water and cook for 20-25 minutes with the lid closed on high flame
- Add in the Saffron threads after they have been boiling for 15 minutes
- Once the Rasgullas are cooked, they will double in size. Remove them from the flame and allow them to cool
- Add in Rose Water and referigerate them for at least 5 hours before eating them
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