Rasgullas

Eid is almost upon us. The month of Ramadan was all about persevering and resisting. Eid will be about indulgence, and what better way to welcome this day than with a mouth-watering traditional dessert, Rasgullas. “Ras” literally means nectar/juice. In this case it is milk balls that have been soaked in a sugar-cardamom syrup. The few drops of Iris water put towards the end, give it a floral tinge. The Rasgullas/ milk balls are made from scratch by separating milk with vinegar. The hung cheese curd is then kneaded and boiled in the syrup till they triple in size. They are like mini-white sponges, and if you are anything like me, one is never enough!

Variations:

Rasgullas are served chilled, so they make a great make-ahead option. You can even freeze them. Just thaw them at room temperature or a day ahead in the fridge. Be careful not to stir them until them are completely thawed or you’ll risk breaking these delicate sponge bundles. A variation of this is to soak the balls in a sugar-milk mixture. This is Ras Malai, another favorite. Tip: If you are wondering what to do with the leftover syrup, a great option is to crush some almonds with a few teaspoons of milk and then mix it into the syrup. Dilute it with water and lo and behold, you’ve made a traditional Pakistani drink, Badam ka Sharbat, Almond milk juice!

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 cups sugar
8 cups water
7-8 whole cardamoms
1 tsp kewra/iris water
1 tablespoon cornflour ( optional but tends to help with the structure of the rasgullas)

Directions:

Sugar syrup:

Boil the sugar and cardamom in the water for about 10 minutes till slightly viscous. It should have turned color ever so slightly. Add a few drops of iris water.

Milk balls:

boiling milk

adding vinegar slowly

milk curdling. Don;t overstir!

coming away from the edges

curdling complete

1. Boil the milk and as soon as it reaches its boiling point, start adding the vinegar one teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to overdo the vinegar because is you over-saturate it, the curds will not form since the excess vinegar will not let them milk solids adhere to each other. Instead you’ll have a watery white mix! Unfortunately, this is not a reversible reaction. I’ve learned this the hard way. You’ll have to start all over again!
2. As soon as the milk starts to separate, you’ll see the milk curdling. Boil for a minute or two, until all the milk solids have curdled. Strain the mix while collecting the curds in a thin cloth, preferably cheesecloth.
3. Wash the curds under ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and wash out the vinegar.
   

   wash with cold water

   

   drain in a cheesecloth lined strainer

   

   let it strain

   

   squeeze

   

   hang dry

   

   the water will drip out slowly
4. Tightly squeeze the cheesecloth and hang it up for a few hours/ overnight, in a safe place to drip out the excess water. If you get impatient like me, you can do most of the squeezing yourself to remove the water. Then lay out the curds in a flat surface and cover it with a few dry paper towels so that they can soak up the extra moisture. Return in an hour or two and your curds should be dry enough for kneading. It is important that the mix not be too wet, otherwise you’ll have a sticky mess and the rasgullas will break in the boiling process.
5. Add the cornstarch and a few cardamom seeds ( slightly crushed). Start kneading the milk curd with the heel of your palm, pushing it against the surface and then coming back to collect it all up. Knead for at least 10 minutes. You’ll know the mix is ready when it no longer sticks, and like playdough you can use a ball to pick up other leftover pieces. If this is not happening, it means the dough is too wet. You should cover and press with paper towels and allow to dry out a bit before attempting to knead.
   

   dried milk curd

   

   

   keep kneading till it starts pulling away with all the milk solids

   

   make balls

   

   
6. Make small balls ( about 1”) and keep them covered so they don’t dry out. Remember they will triple in size, so don’t make them too huge!
7. Boil 12-16 rasgullas at a time in the syrup. They should have plenty of room to expand. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Once the pressure is released, it should reveal plump, spongy rasgullas that hold their shape perfectly. Gently remove them to a serving container and ladle some syrup over them.
8. Continue boiling the leftover rasgullas in the remaining syrup till all are made. You can store in an air-tight container in the freezer for later, or chill in the fridge.

   

Eid Mubarik! May your household stay blessed always!

If you like other desserts, check out these Chocolate Profiteroles!