Making soft rasmalai at home involves two main steps: preparing the chenna (paneer) and making the ras (syrup). Here’s a detailed recipe:### Ingredients:#### For Chenna (Paneer):- 1 liter full-fat milk- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar- 1 cup water#### For Sugar Syrup:- 1 cup sugar- 4 cups water#### For Ras (Milk Syrup):- 1 liter full-fat milk- 1/4 cup sugar (adjust to taste)- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder- A few strands of saffron (optional)- 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios and almonds (for garnish)### Instructions:#### 1. Making the Chenna:1. **Boil Milk:** Boil 1 liter of milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low.2. **Curdle Milk:** Mix lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup of water. Slowly add this mixture to the boiling milk, stirring continuously until the milk curdles completely. The milk solids (chenna) will separate from the whey.3. **Strain Chenna:** Pour the curdled milk through a muslin cloth or cheesecloth to separate the chenna. Rinse the chenna under cold water to remove the sourness of the lemon juice or vinegar.4. **Drain Water:** Tie the muslin cloth and hang it for about 30 minutes to remove excess water. The chenna should be moist but not too wet.#### 2. Making the Rasmalai Balls:1. **Knead Chenna:** Transfer the chenna to a plate and knead it with the heel of your hand for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and soft.2. **Shape Balls:** Divide the chenna into small portions and shape them into flat, round discs.#### 3. Preparing the Sugar Syrup:1. **Boil Sugar Syrup:** In a wide pan, boil 1 cup sugar with 4 cups of water. Once the syrup starts boiling, add the chenna discs gently.2. **Cook Rasmalai Balls:** Cover and cook the discs on medium heat for about 15 minutes. They will expand and become spongy. Turn off the heat and let them cool in the syrup.#### 4. Preparing the Ras (Milk Syrup):1. **Boil Milk:** In another heavy-bottomed pan, boil 1 liter of milk. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.2. **Thicken Milk:** Once the milk reduces to about 3/4 of its original volume, add 1/4 cup sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron strands. Mix well and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the milk thickens slightly.3. **Cool Milk:** Let the milk syrup cool to room temperature.#### 5. Assembling Rasmalai:1. **Combine Balls and Syrup:** Gently squeeze the cooked chenna discs to remove excess sugar syrup and add them to the milk syrup.2. **Refrigerate:** Let the rasmalai soak in the milk syrup for at least 2-3 hours in the refrigerator so they absorb the flavors.3. **Garnish and Serve:** Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds before serving.Enjoy your homemade soft and delicious rasmalai!
