Rashogolla

After one week of Rakhi, it is Janmashtami.  The day before was a traditional day for R and she was curious about why she was wearing the color dress. Anything whatever is new in the schedule has to be explained to her. So, I said that it is Nandalala’s birthday and that is why she will wear a salwar kurta to school instead of her regular uniform. Now, my little one asked ‘where’s the cake Mamma?’ A valid question, truly. ‘Not a cake this time my dear, but Mamma will make rashogolla for Nandalala and you’.

Rashogolla, (rasgulla) as I prefer to call it as a proper Bangla pronunciation, is not a dish that you can make regularly or any day as you wish. It needs enough time and patience. It was a holiday for R on Janmashtami and I took a day off. So, making of the Rashogollas was possible. I was very excited to see those white, hot, sugar-syrup dipped sweets for the first time after opening the pressure cooker. I cooled one, and served R. She asked for another one.

My first attempt to make Rashogolla was a success. It was soft enough, sweet and adequately dipped in sugar-syrup. Here is the step by step recipe of Rashogolla.

Ingredients

1 L whole cream milk

Juice of 1 big  lemon

3 cups of sugar

4 cups of water (1.5l approx)

2-3 elichi pods (optional)

Nakuldana/ramdana/sugarcandies

Making the gollas

 Boil the milk.

When it starts boiling add the juice of 1 big lemon. Switch off the gas and stir. Within a few minutes the milk will be curdled. You can use any other curdling agent if you wish. Ensure that the milk should be coagulated fully. I have used curd to make the paneer or chana. I have taken full cream milk 2 liter and 6 big table spoon of curd.

Drain the water and keep the paneer aside. If you have used lemon juice you can just run it once under cold water.

After the water gets drained place the paneer on a plain cloth, tie it tightly and hang for 30-40 mnts or till the water gets drained fully.

Now knead the paneer well using your hands. This is the most important part of the whole recipe and the secret for soft rashogollas. Knead the paneer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Make balls from the kneaded paneer. The balls should be smaller from the desired size as the size will get increased atleast two times when they are dipped in sugar syrap. Approximately you can make 15 gollas from 1L of milk. Place the nakuldana inside the balls.

The sugar syrap or the Ras

 While you are making the gollas prepare the ras. In a deep bottomed pan mix 3 cups of water and two cups of sugar and bring to boil. Add some cardamom pods if you like, for flavor. When the sugar gets dissolved add the 4^th cup of water. Add  from the side of the pan so that the temperature does not gets decreased.

The flame should be in high all through.

Carefully slide the gollas into the syrap. As the size of the gollas increase after being dipped in the syrap take a pan which can provide enough room to the rashogollas.

You can pressure cook the rasogollas. I did that. In a high flame I cooked the rasagollas till one whistle and switched off the gas. If you don’t want to pressure cook then cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

You can refrigerate them or serve hot as you like.