Rasmalai (Cottage Cheese Disc In Flavored Milk)

Rasmalai (Cottage Cheese Disc In Flavored Milk) is traditional Indian sweet from the state of Bengal and is made with the soft cottage cheese disc that is first soaked in sugar syrup and then in sweet and thick milk that is flavored with saffron and cardamom. It is served chilled with chopped nuts. The rasmalai is a popular gluten free Indian sweet served in weddings, birthday parties or enjoyed during festivals such as Diwali, Janmasthami, Durgaasthami or Holi.

Making Rasmalai at home is very easy and can be prepared by following the below mentioned three steps:

  1. Make chenna by curdling the milk with acid such as lemon juice or vinegar and kneading the chenna till smooth and making disc from it.
  2. Preparing the sugar syrup and soaking the prepared chenna disc in it.
  3. Preparing flavored, sweet and thick milk and resting the squeezed chenna disc in it.

It was my husband’s (Mithil Shah) 40th birthday. With the lockdown and social distancing law due to Covid 19, we cannot go out or celebrate with friends or family. Hence I thought of surprising him by making a special cake. I decided to make a fusion Eggless rasmalai cake. The plain or cardamom flavor sponge is soaked with flavored milk and is sandwiched with rasmalai and cardamom saffron flavored whipped cream. The cake is then covered with the cardamom saffron flavored whipped cream and decorated with rasmalai and chopped nuts. The cake is chilled and then served.

So to make the cake I needed rasmalai, flavored milk, eggless sponge, flavored whipped cream. I wanted to make everything from scratch at home.

Also making soft and juicy rasmalai was on my list since long. Mithil’s 40th birthday was the perfect occasion to make rasmalai. I can also use the rasmalai to make the cake.

Few points to be taken care while making the rasmalai at home:

Make soft chenna.

Knead the chenna till soft for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Cooking the chenna disc in sugar syrup for a proper amount of time.

I prefer using full fat milk to make the chenna. While curdling the milk, bring it to boil and then remove from the heat and keep aside for 5 minutes then gradually add lemon juice to it and let the milk curdle.

Once the milk is curdled drain it on a soft cloth and run fresh water on it to remove the sourness of the milk. Squeeze out the excess water from the chenna and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Now knead the chenna for minimum of ten minutes till it is soft and no more grainy. This step is very important.

The chenna disc is made by rolling the soft kneaded chenna to a smooth ball and then press to flatten it.

Making sugar syrup and cooking the chenna disc to a right amount of time.

The chenna disc is left in sugar syrup till it absorbs the sugar syrup and becomes soft and juicy. It is then further soaked in the flavored milk and served chilled. The process till here is similar to that of making rasgulla. For rasgulla you roll the chenna into a smooth ball and cook in sugar syrup.

I have used full fat milk to make the flavored milk. The milk is boiled till it is reduced to half the quantity. Sugar is added for the sweetness and milk is flavored with saffron and cardamom.

For a quick version of making rasmalai at home you can buy ready made rasgulla and then squeeze and soak them in the prepared flavored milk.

Soak the cut round bread slices in the flavored milk and serve as instant rasmalai.

Angoori rabdi – a popular sweet served during wedding is similar to rasmalai. Here small marble size balls of kneaded chenna are cooked in sugar syrup and then soaked in flavored, sweet and thick milk.

I am sharing with you the detailed recipe of making rasmalai with the step by step photos.

The rasmalai came out super soft and was melt in mouth. Everyone at our house enjoyed it.

Friends do try and make this delicious recipe and I am sure you will win everyone’s heart among your family and friends.

Please do share your valuable feedback with me.

Khao dilse, khilao dilse aur banao dilse…

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Rasmalai (Cottage Cheese Disc In Flavored Milk)

Rasmalai (Cottage Cheese Disc In Flavored Milk) is traditional Indian sweet from the state of Bengal and is made with the soft cottage cheese disc that is first soaked in sugar syrup and then in sweet and thick milk that is flavored with saffron and cardamom. It is served chilled with chopped nuts. The rasmalai is a popular gluten free Indian sweet served in weddings, birthday parties or enjoyed during festivals such as Diwali, Janmasthami, Durgaasthami or Holi.
Course Dessert, glutenfree, sweet
Cuisine Bengali, Indian
Keyword almondmilk, bengalisweet, chenna, dessert, glutenfree, indiansweet, kidsfavorite, paneer, rasmalai, traditional
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 25 rasmalai
Calories 191kcal

Equipment

  • pot
  • bowl
  • strainer
  • soft cotton cloth
  • flat plate
  • pot with lid
  • spatula
  • spoon
  • slotted spatula

Ingredients

To make chenna, knead and make flat disc

Making Sugar Syrup and soaking chenna flat disc in it

  • 2 l water
  • 2 cup sugar I have used raw sugar. It makes the chenna disc brownish in colour. (for bright colour use white sugar)
  • 4 cardamom pods

Making Flavored Milk and soaking prepared chenna disc

Instructions

To make chenna, knead and make flat disc

  • Put water in a heavy bottom pot.
  • Add milk in it and bring it to boil on medium heat. Stir in between to prevent sticking at the bottom.
  • After 7-8 minutes milk will come to a boil.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and keep aside for a couple of minutes. Then gradually add lemon juice to it and mix.
  • The milk has start to curdled.
  • Wait for further 5 minutes till the entire milk is curdled well..
  • Now place the soft cotton cloth or muslin cloth on the strainer in a bowl. Drain the curdled milk in it. Keep aside the strained liquid. It is whey and is very nutritious. Use it to knead the dough, or make soup, kadhi or dal. Put the strainer with cheese cloth in another bowl and pour 2-3 cup of fresh water on it to remove the sourness of the lemon.
  • Spread with hands and wash with the fresh water.
  • Now brings the edges of the cloth together and squeeze out the excess liquid from it.
  • Squeeze tightly and place on the strainer with the bowl and keep it aside for 30 minutes to remove the excess liquid. (In the meantime prepare sugar syrup as shown belown in the instructions)
  • After 30 minutes, open the cloth, the excess liquid is removed and chenna is ready.
  • Remove the chenna in a flat plate and crumble it with hands
  • Now with the help of your palm press and knead the chenna for 10 minutes till it is smooth.
  • Add saffron powder or yellow colour. (If you want to keep rasmalai white do not add saffron powder or yellow colour). Add cornflour..
  • Mix well and knead it till the powder is mixed well.
  • The kneaded chenna will come together and looks like dough.
  • Divide the dough into three parts and make log from it and cut all the logs into equal parts as shown.
  • Take a one part and roll into a smooth ball between your palms. (Use ghee to grease your palms)
  • Flatten the roll chenna ball by pressing between palms.
  • Similarly make the remaining chenna disc.

Making Sugar Syrup and soaking chenna flat disc in it

  • Take sugar, cardamom pods, and water in a heavy bottom pot. Mix well.
  • Keep on high heat to boil. Stir in between.
  • The mixture will start to boil after 7-8 minutes. Let it boil for further 10 minutes. The sugar syrup is ready.
  • Now put the prepared chenna disc in batches. (I have put 10 chenna disc at one time).
  • Cover and cook for 15 minutes on high heat.
  • After 15 minutes the chenna disc will rise in size.
  • Lower the heat and remove the cooked chenna disc in a plate.
  • Similarly put the remaining chenna disc in sugar syrup and cook.
  • Now put all the cooked chenna disc in the sugar syrup and cover and keep aside for 2-3 hours till it will absorb the sugar syrup.

Making Flavored Milk and soaking prepared chenna disc

  • Put water in a heavy and broad bottom pot.
  • Add milk in it and bring it to boil on medium heat. Stir in between to prevent sticking at the bottom.
  • The milk will come to a boil after 7-8 minutes. Now put the heat to high and boil the milk stirring in between. Add saffron strands.
  • Mix well and boil the milk for 10 minutes on high heat stirring in between.
  • Scrape the cream on the edges of the vessel in between with the spatula. Boil the milk further for 5 minutes on high heat.
  • Once the milk is boiled and reduced to half add sugar. (I have added raw sugar. You can add white sugar and also adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste).
  • Add the blanched and sliced almonds and pistachios.
  • Add cardamom powder. Mix well.
  • Boil for 5 minutes more on high heat stirring the milk and scraping the cream in between.
  • Switch off the heat. The flavored milk for rasmalai is ready. Keep it aside to cool. Stir with a spoon to avoid the formation of the layer of the cream on it. Cool the milk completely.
  • Now take the rasmalai that is soaked in the sugar syrup.
  • Take one soaked chenna disc between your palms.
  • Press and squeeze the sugar syrup from it.
  • Place it in a flat deep bowl. Similary squeeze the remaining chenna disc and arrange in the bowl.
  • Pour the prepared flavored milk over the chenna disc. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. The rasmalai is ready to server.
  • Remove gently the rasmalai in the serving bowl. Garnish with slivered almonds , pistachio and saffron and serve. The remaining rasmalai can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 1mg

6 thoughts on “Rasmalai (Cottage Cheese Disc In Flavored Milk)”

  1. 5 stars
    Rasmalai is very soft & mouthwatering sweet,dessert.choice of everybody nd easy to prepare at home.thanks for sharing recipe

    Reply

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