I am presenting the recipe for soft, melt-in-your-mouth Rasmalai for Durga Puja. Called Rossomalai in Bengali, this sweet is the perfect end to a festive meal.
Dilute the 1.5 tbsp lemon juice with 3 tbsp water.
Bring the full-fat milk to a boil. Remove any malai that forms on top.
Take the milk off the heat and let it cool a bit for about 5 minutes.
Now gradually add the diluted lemon juice in 2-3 batches while stirring constantly.
The Chena is ready when the milk solids separate from the whey.
Add the ice cubes and wait for 5 minutes.
Strain all the whey out of the Chena and rinse it well under running water to remove the lemony taste. Save the Whey Water. We will make a healthy protein-rich Lemon Coriander Soup with it.
Now transfer the Chena into a cotton cloth and gently squeeze the liquid out of it.
Making the Chena Discs
Transfer the Chena into a large plate.
Crumble it. It should not be too dry.
With the heel of your palm, knead the Chena till it is soft and loses the crumbly texture. It took me about 8 minutes.
Roll the Chena into a ball.
Divide into 12 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a ball and gently press into a disc.
Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.
Making the Sugar Syrup (I made this while kneading the Chena)
Mix 1 cup sugar with 4 cups water.
Add the cardamom powder, if you are using it.
Bring the mix to a boil.
Making the Ras
Warm about 2 tbsp milk in a small bowl.
Add the saffron strands to the warm milk.
Cover and set aside.
Boil the rest of the milk till it reduces to 3/4 the original volume.
Turn off the heat.
Add the sugar and saffron along with the milk it is soaked in.
Stir well so that the sugar dissolves.
Set aside.
Boiling the Chena Discs
When the sugar syrup is boiling, slide the chena discs gradually into the syrup.
Let the chena discs boil on high-flame for 5 minutes.
Lower the heat till the sugar syrup just simmers and is not boiling.
Cover and let the discs cook for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the discs in the syrup for 5 minutes.
Putting It All Together
Ensure that the flavoured milk/ras is warm.
Remove the discs from the syrup and place them on a plate to cool till they are just warm.
Now press each disc gently between your palms to remove the extra syrup and slide it into the flavoured milk/ras.
Add the dry fruits to the Ras Malai.
Let the Ras Malai rest for at least an hour. Ensure that the Chena Discs are completely soaked in milk.
Refrigerate the Ras Malai for at least 2 hours. I left them overnight.
Serve chilled.
Keyword Bengali Sweets, Ras Malai, Rossomalai
Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!