This is my "the most favourite" sweet. You can say one and only. Period. No other sweet can even come close or ever take its place. I don't know why it took so long for me to post this on my site. Probably I was scared that I might fail my most beloved dessert. At last, a year back I started trying this. Even though I still have a long way to go, I can at least no longer fear the process of making this sweet.
This is one of the recipe which requires us to master the foundation well. The foundation for this dish is the "Chenna". As mentioned in my previous post, it forms the base of many Bengali sweets. Once, you get that right, rest of it falls in place. I have mentioned below some tips I learnt from friends and other blogs. Nisha Madhulika's video was very helpful for me to learn the tips and tricks.
Tips for Making the Soft Chenna
First and foremost, the Chenna should be soft. To achieve the soft chenna please keep these two steps in mind.
- Add the souring agent after you turn off the heat and remove it from flame.
- Then cool the milk solids as soon as you separate it from the whey.
The main idea is not to overcook the chenna. These are the main differences when compared to the process of making paneer for main course dishes. Achieving a perfect Bengali sweet, solely depends on the quality of the Chenna we make.
The next time I make, Ill update it with detailed pics. Until then enjoy this ultimate decadent sweet from the Bengal region.
Rasgulla or Roshgulla - One of the popular sweets from the Indian cuisine. Small balls made from curdled milk known as Chenna are dunked in Sugar syrup.
- 1 litre Full fat Milk
- ¼ cup Dahi or Lime juice (souring agent)
- 4 cups Water
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Sooji
- Cardamom or Kewra water for flavouring the syrup (optional)
- Boil the milk in a saucepan. Once it is boiled, remove from heat and then add the souring agent. Mix it gently and as soon as the whey gets separated ( clear greenish liquid), drain the milk solid in a linen covered colander.
- Immediately rinse the milk solid with cold water. Tie the ends of the cloth, squeeze the excess water and either hang it over the sink and or place it under a heavy weight for about 20-25 minutes.
- Then, remove the chenna / Paneer and knead it for about 10-15 minutes. Gather it well and divide them into equal portions.
- Roll each of them with the palm of your hand to make smooth balls.
- Meanwhile, heat sugar (also add cardamom pods if using) and water in a wide mouthed and deep pan.
- Once it comes to a boil, add the chenna balls. Do not overcrowd the balls. They will double in size and needs space for expansion. Else it will break and dissolve in the syrup.
- It might take about 12-15 minutes for it to get cooked.
- Transfer it to a bowl. Once everything is cooked, pour the remaining sugar syrup over the cooked balls. Also if using kewra water, add now.
- Let it remain for about 7-8 hours. This ensures that the balls have absorbed the sugar syrup well.
- 10. While serving, add the syrup on top of the rasgulla and serve.
- The most important stage is to get the soft chenna. For achieving this, please follow the above mentioned procedure and the Tips.
- The amount of time for kneading the chenna depends on the quality of the milk used and how good is the chenna prepared. The general thumb rule is knead until you start feeling the grease from the chenna on your palm and you are able to make soft balls with it.
- To test the doneness of the rasgulla, put it in a cup of water. If it floats, it is undercooked. If it sinks, it is done.
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Srivalli says
Oh rasgullas have surely turned out well!..love your clicks..
Harini-Jaya R says
Love the earthenware on display here along with the contents!! Lovely setup for those cuties.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I am drooling here. My every favorite dessert.
Chef Mireille says
yours came out perfectly - I would not even think of attempting!
Sapana Behl says
My favorite sweet and you have made and presented it so beautifully.
Pavani N says
That's a delicious and amazing looking rasgullas. Love the presentation.
Archana Potdar says
Nw I canoot make up my mind if I like roshogulla more or kalakand or sandesh... 🙁 . Love them all.
The Happie Friends Potpourricorner says
They Looks so soft and spongy!! Awesome!!
vaishali sabnani says
Speechless !..love both rasgullas and the rustic presentation..kudos Nisha.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
my favorite sweet and your presentation in earthen pots, simply superb
Priya Srinivasan says
This is our favorite dessert, so beautifully presented!!!
Priya Suresh says
Love that terracotta set vessels. Rasgulla looks absolutely succulent.
rajani says
The rasgolla looks delicious, but my eye is on that plate ;-). I