Ingredients
For the rasmalai balls
1-liter whole milk
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornflour (optional)
4 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
For the ras [syrup]
500 ml whole milk
5-6 green cardamom pods peeled and crushed to get the powder
saffron a pinch
3-4 tablespoons sugar
finely chopped pistachios
Rasmalai Balls
· Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup of water to bring the temperature of the milk down a bit.
· Wait for 5-10 minutes and then start adding lemon juice till the milk curdles.
· Add lemon juice till the milk curdles completely.
· Using a strainer drain the water and collect the chena.
· Rinse it under tap water so that there's no trace of lemon juice in it.
· Leave it in the strainer for 10-15 minutes and then take the chena in your hand and squeeze out the remaining water slowly.
· Add cornflour and start mashing the chena with hand or in a food processor till it’s smooth.
· Set the clock to 10 minutes and mash constantly for 10 minutes using your palm. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it.
· Heat 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil.
· Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15-17 minutes. The balls will double in size by then.
· Take out the balls from the syrup and drop them in freshwater. If they sink to the bottom, the balls are done.
Thickened Milk
· In a heavy bottom pan, boil 500 ml of milk.
· Soak few strands of saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk and set aside.
· Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the flame, and continue to stir the milk at regular intervals. After 10 minutes add sugar and mix.
· After 20-25 minutes the milk will thicken to the desired consistency, add soaked saffron, and crushed cardamom.
· Also add finely chopped pistachios [if using]. Mix and switch off the flame.
· Take out the cooled rasmalai balls from the sugar syrup, squeeze and flatten with your hands.
· Transfer the balls to thickened milk [milk should be warm].
· Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios and few saffron strands before serving.
