My Culinary Trial Room

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Rasmalai | Diwali Sweet Recipes

First let me share a very exciting news. I ordered a Kitchen-aid Professional stand mixer yesterday. Yessss, a brand new one, a shining empire red one, one which I have been longing to own ever since I started baking. Its due to arrive between Dec 3 and Dec 6 and the wait is just killing me. I will share photos as soon as I get it.

Now lets talk about the diwali sweet recipes that I have been posting decades late. Okay here's the deal, I swear that this is the last of my diwali posts. Well, I still have one more but that is a guest post for a loved one but that is the end of the series. Finally, right?? I am sorry, truly for dragging it so long but I have been left with no other option. Blogging is just not what my son and I want rite now which leaves me to the fact that I have to sit late nights, which is not what I want. 2 hours is all that I can spend for the blog these days and that just doesn't seem enough.

But then you don't need it to be Diwali to indulge in sweets right? And when it is a rich juicy one like this rasmalai, all you need is a simple reason to pop one in your mouth, like the day is bright and sunny, why don't I have a rasmalai. Atleast that was our case (where our = me+pappu). Since it was my first time, I tried it using half a litre. That is me, I always use the smallest possible quantity for the first test batch that I run. But the recipe could be easily doubled or tripled as per convenience.

~*What U Need*~
Whole Milk - 2 cups
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Ice cubes - few

To Make syrup:
Water - 1 3/4 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp
Pistachios/Cashews - to garnish

For Rabdi:
Milk - 1/2 litre or 2 cups
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Saffron threads - 1/8 tsp soaked in warm milk
Pistachios, almonds, cashews - chopped, 2 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp

How I Made it:
Bring milk to a boil and then set to medium flame. Add lemon juice and stir well. Keep stirring till the milk solids separate and the whey water is clear. Remove from heat, add the icecubes or place this in a cold water bath. I added icecubes.

Take a clean cotton cloth, pour the curdled milk and collect the whey water. Wash the chhena in running water to remove the lemon smell. Squeeze the excess water and hang it for 30 mins. After 30 mins, the chhena should be crumbly in texture. Knead well till it forms a smooth dough, say 5-10 mins. Make flattened discs or balls of desired size. I made small balls for pappu's sake.

Heat water in a deep wide bottomed vessel, add sugar, cardamom powder and keep stirring till sugar dissolves completely. When it starts boiling, put it to medium heat, and slowly add the balls. Place the lid and cook for 10-12 mins till the balls are doubled in size. Immediately remove the balls and place them in a pan with cold water. This is done to stop the balls from cooking more. Cool both the rasgullas and the sugar syrup completely, add the rasgullas to the syrup and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Now lets make the rabdi. In a small saucepan, add 1 tsp ghee and fry the nuts till brown. Once brown, add the milk and boil. Add the crushed cardamom and boil till reduced to half.

Add the saffron soaked milk and boil. Now add the condensed milk and boil till the milk is thick and syrupy. Squeeze the rasgullas gently to remove excess sugar syrup and then drop into the rabdi. Give it a boil and then remove from heat. Chill overnight.