Rasmalai: A sweet memory
Have you ever had Rasmalai?
Those soft, juicy balls of chenna floating in sweet rabri – they melt in your mouth.
The name is made from two words – ‘Ras’ meaning sweetened milk and ‘Malai’ meaning thick, aromatic creamy layer – and the taste is also the same – juicy and creamy.
Rasmalai is not just a sweet, it is the fragrance of festivals, a childhood memory, and the sweetness of every special occasion.
It is equally loved not only in India but also in Bangladesh and Pakistan
- Making rabri. Add 3 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add saffron and stir every few minutes to prevent burning.
- Now add sugar. I have used organic sugar. You can use white sugar as well.
Adjust the flame as per your convenience. Do not use high flame, the milk may overflow from the vessel. Keep stirring the milk every 2-3 minutes and remove the cream that rises to the top. When the milk thickens to half the quantity, turn off the gas.
Cool half of it in the fridge. Keep the rest in the same vessel.
While the rabri is cooking, in another vessel boil 5 cups of milk to make chenna/paneer. If you are using non-homogenized milk, remove the milk from the gas and keep it for 5 minutes. Then add vinegar.
If you are using homogenized milk, add curd, lemon juice or vinegar to the milk once it comes to a boil.
- Keep stirring till the milk curdles completely. Add more lemon juice or vinegar if needed. Turn off the gas
- When you feel that the chenna is completely set, immediately add ice cubes or ice cold water. This is very important to keep the chenna soft.
- Strain it through a thin clean muslin cloth.
Wrap the paneer in a cloth and join all its edges together. Place the cloth under running water, make sure that the paneer is well wrapped in the cloth. Wash it thoroughly under running water to remove the smell of lemon or vinegar.
Tie the paneer in a cloth as shown in the picture. Squeeze out the excess water. Hang it on a hook for 45 minutes to 1 hour so that the whey drains out completely.
At this stage you need chenna that is completely moist, not dripping water and not sticky. Knead it well till you get a smooth, grain-free and sticky consistency. You do not want to knead it so much that grease or fat starts oozing out of chenna.
Please check the pictures I shared in the introduction to know the exact texture.
make rasmalai
- Divide it into 12 equal parts. Make balls and flatten them lightly. You can also make rasgulla or cham cham. If the edges look torn, lightly grease them. Cover and keep aside.
- Add 1 cup sugar to 3 1/2 cups water and boil it.Use refined white sugar.
- When the syrup starts boiling, add cardamom powder to it.
- When the syrup starts boiling rapidly, add the flat pieces of chenna to it. Cover immediately and cook on medium high flame for exactly 9 minutes.
- The disc would have doubled in size. Cover it and remove the vessel from the gas. Keep it aside for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove one by one and let it cool. Take out the syrup by pressing it lightly between your palms. You can also do this with a ladle and spoon.
- Mix these into the hot rabri.
Add chopped pistachios, almonds and cashews. If you want, you can cook on low flame for one to two minutes so that the milk gets absorbed into the discs. Do not overcook at this stage, they may break.
Pour cold rabri into it and serve cold rasmali