RASGULLA

Rasgulla /Rosogulla is a traditional Indian sweet made with chana(Indian cottage cheese). It is the first dessert made with chhana. There came many sweets after this by making slight variations to rasgullas (adding color, varying the shape, using milk instead of sugar syrup, using jaggery instead of sugar). Some say that Rasgullas had their origin in Orissa. Bengali’s own rasgullas as their traditional sweet. Where ever the origin may be these puffed cheesy balls in sugar syrup are famous throughout India, why not……… whole world.
INGREDIENTS

• Whole milk             4 cups
• lemon juice            2 Tsp
• Suji or Maida            1 tsp
• Sugar                     2 cups+1 cup
• Water                    4 cups
• Cold water             1/2 cup
• Cardamom               a pinch (optional)
• Rose water             1 Tsp(optional)

PROCEDURE
First boil the milk on a medium flame, slowly add the lemon juice and keep stirring. If extra lemon juice is needed add. The milk curdles slowly and slowly the fat separates. This fat is called ‘paneer’.  Switch off the stove and transfer the whole paneer with whey into a sieve or a strainer with muslin cloth on it. Slowly run cold water on the paneer. This removes the lemon flavor and also makes the paneer to remain softer without hardening. Squeeze out excess water from the paneer. There should not be any water traces in paneer. Slowly knead the paneer along with suji or maida on a dry surface till it is smooth. Work on by kneading for about 10minutes. Cover the paneer with a cloth and let remain for 10 minutes.  Again knead the paneer and make small balls . See that the edges are not cracking. If u find cracks again kneed the paneer and make the balls. Now is the critical part in making rasmalai/ rasgullas. There are two ways of making them.The first one is as follows.
In a pan add the sugar and water and let boil. Now add the  paneer balls to the sugar syrup and cook on a medium high flame. When the sugar syrup tends to thicken sprinkle water on the syrup. The process takes about 10 minutes and the paneer balls puffs up to double their size. Now switch off the flame and remove the balls and keep aside. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar to the hot sugar syrup and mix well till all the sugar dissolves and make a medium thick syrup. Cool the syrup and again add the rasgullas to the syrup. Add the cardamom powder and rose water. Chill and serve.

The second procedure is simple and easy. Heat the water and sugar in a pressure cooker and when the sugar dissolves add the paneer balls and put the lid. Wait for one whistle and then reduce the flame to sim/low. After 5 minutes switch off the flame and keep the pressure cooker under running water to reduce the inside pressure. Now remove the lid and you will see the puffed-up  cheese balls. Remove the rasgullas and add the remaining 1 cup of  sugar to the hot sugar syrup and mix well till all the sugar dissolves. Make a medium thick syrup and then, to reduce the temperature of sugar syrup add 1/2 cup of ice cubes and again add the rasgullas to the syrup.Add the cardamom powder and rose water. Chill and serve the mouth watering rasgullas.
 TIPS

• Use suji or maida but not both. This helps to bind the paneer together.
• The more the dough is kneaded the more softer are the rasgullas.
• See that the sugar syrup do not over boil in the first procedure. When you find the syrup is over boiling sprinkle the water.
• Once the balls puffs up to double their size switch off the flame immediately otherwise the rasgullas will harden.
• In the pressure cooker method the exact procedure is to be followed to get perfect rasgullas.
• Do not add too much of suji/ maida. Excess of maida/suji makes rasgullas hard.