RasMalai

The mouth watering and popular Bengali dessert! Ras means juice/juicy and Malai means Cream.. This is nothing but rasgulla soaked in saffron flavored milk. Lets look into the process of its making ! This time I have taken snaps at stages carefully !

Cooking time : 40 to 45 mins

There are three steps in this:
1. Preparing Paneer
2. Preparing Rasgulla
3. Preparing Rasmalai

1. Preparing Paneer:
You can check ma blog for the post http://namadugemane.blogspot.de/2014/02/home-made-paneer.html
to know how to prepare paneer. Or you can buy from stores if you want

2. Preparing Rasgulla:
     Ingredients for rasgulla discs:
     1. Paneer
     2. Rava - 1tsp
     3. Cardamom - 1/4 tsp
     4. Sugar - 2 tsp
     5. Maida - 1tbsp

     Ingredients for Syrup:
     1. Water - 2 1/2 cups
     2. Sugar - 1 cup

    Method:
    1. Knead paneer until your hand becomes oily, knead using heel of your hand
    2. Add 1 tsp of rava, cardamom powder,sugar and knead lightly
    3. Divide into eual pieces and make smooth balls
    4. Flatten in shape of discs and place on maida dusted plate as shown in below pic

    5. Heat sugar and water on low flame in a pan untill sugar dissolves and then increase the flame
    6. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame and drop the paneer disc and cook closed for 15 mins but check in between

    7. After 15 to 20 mins, rasgullas would be doubled in its size as in below pic

    8. Switch off flame and allow to cool and allow it to stand for about 2 hours

           Its Rasgulla !!! :)

3. Preparing Rasmalai:
       Ingredients for saffron flavoured milk:
       1. Milk - 2 1/2 cups or 1/2 litre
       2. Sugar - 1/3 cup
       3. Cardamom powder - 1.4 tsp
       4. Saffron - 7-8 strands
       5. Pista - 2 - 3 tbsp
       6. Almonds - 2 - 3 tbsp
   
       To Garnish:
       Almonds and pista chopped

      Method:
      1. Boil milk until it reduces to 1 1/4 cup, by keeping in medium low flame and keep stirring in between so that milk wont get burnt
      2. Add sugar, cardamom powder and mix until sugar dissovles
      3. Switch off and add almond, pista and saffron and mix well
      4. Now take rasgulla from sugar syrup and squeeze out excess sugar syrup by keeping the rasgulla between two ladles and press gently
       5. Drop squeezed rasgulla into creamy milk and let it cool and let it stand for atleast 2-3 hours
       6. Refrigerate and serve chilled garnished with almond and pista

              Rasmalai is ready!!! Yumm...!

Note:
1. Always refrigerate after allowing it to soak for about 2 hours and it tastes best when chilled