Rasgulla | traditional Bengali sweet

Rasgulla is a popular paneer based sweet from Bengal! Often served on special occasions and compared to other Indian sweets it doesn't require any deep-frying or a list of extensive ingredients. I know that if I make dairy desserts like rasgulla, shrikhand and drinks like lassi I usually don't win too many favours with my partner Yogesh! He is not so much a dairy lover unlike me. I guess my love for dairy comes from my Dutch side. In the Netherlands dairy is such a staple in the diet. When we would come back from the Netherlands after being on holiday we would always load the car with plenty of Dutch cheese and chocomel (amazing Dutch chocolate milk!). 

To make rasgulla, you first need to make paneer by curdling milk with either vinegar, lemon juice or yoghurt. For the best results, use full fat milk as this will yield a rich and creamy paneer. I have a recipe for paneer here on my blog so do check that out if you are unfamiliar with paneer making. If you've got paneer making sussed, then making rasgulla is a good sweet to try. Basically, soft paneer is rolled into balls and then cooked into a sugar syrup until they double in size and become soft. The sugar syrup is usually flavoured with cardamom. There are a couple of things to bear in mind so they remain soft and spongy, but its not difficult! The trick is to roll smooth round balls without any cracks, and to make sure that the consistency of the paneer is correct. Too much moisture in the paneer and they will crack when cooking, too little moisture and you won't be able to shape them. 

There are three main steps to making rasgulla, these are 

1. Making paneer
2. Forming paneer balls 
3. Cooking paneer balls in sugar syrup  

Lets make rasgulla! This recipe makes around 18 rasgulla. This recipe requires a few waiting steps, so plan in at least 3 hours if you would to make rasgulla. 

Ingredients
1 1/2 litres full fat milk 
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice 
1-2 tsp semolina or plain flour
1 cup white sugar 
4 cups water 
5 cardamom pods, bruised 
1/2 tsp rosewater (optional) 
Saffron strands to garnish (optional)
You'll also need a muslin cloth for making the paneer. 

Method

Making paneer

• Get everything ready before making the rasgulla. Firstly, we will be making the paneer. Place your muslin cloth over the bowl and get out what you will use to weigh down the paneer/chenna (I used a chopping board and pestle and mortar). You'll also need two saucepans (one for the milk and another for the sugar syrup later on).
  
  
• In a large sturdy saucepan, pour in the milk. Bring to the just below boiling, stirring frequently to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the pan. You can test if the milk is hot enough by dipping your finger in. It should feel hot but it should not burn you. 
  
  
• Once the milk is hot, add the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir to distribute well, and then leave to sit for around 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the milk should have completely curdled. 
  
  
• Next take a large bowl and line this with a muslin cloth. Pour the curdled milk into the bowl you lined with the muslin cloth. Gather up the corners and gently squeeze out any liquid. You can discard the whey.
  
  
• Next, rinse the curds through running water to remove any vinegar/lemon flavour and sourness. 
  
  
• Squeeze again to remove any excess liquid. it is also a good idea to hang the paneer in the muslin cloth with a bowl underneath for around 30 minutes - this allows gravity to remove any extra whey. Just tie up the muslin cloth and tie it around something like a kitchen cupboard handle and place a bowl underneath. 
  
  
• Once all excess moisture has been removed, place the paneer in a the muslin cloth on a flat waterproof surface, ensuring the paneer curds are in an layer. 
  
  
• Place another chopping board on top and then weight down with what you have (e.g. a pestle and mortar or canned food). Leave to set for around 1-2 hours until firm. 

Shaping rasgulla

• Once the paneer is formed, it is now time to make the form the paneer balls. Gently unwrap the muslin cloth and place the paneer in a bowl. 
  
  
• Using gently pressure, start kneading the paneer. You are aiming for a paneer dough which has a smooth surface and holds its shape. This is also the time for you to check the moisture content of your rasgulla dough. If you find that there is too much moisture coming out when kneading, then you may need to add 1-2 tsp semolina or plain flour. Alternatively you can weigh down the paneer again for 30 minutes more. If the mixture is too dry and not coming together, sprinkle in 1-2 tsp water and knead again. 
  
  
• Once you have a nice dough, take a small piece and roll into a small ball. Place on a plate and cover with a cloth or tea towel to ensure that they don't dry out. Repeat with the remaining rasgulla dough. 
  
  

Making sugar syrup and cooking rasgulla

• When you have formed all the rasgulla, heat the water, sugar & cardamom pods in a large wide saucepan. You can also add some rosewater if you like, but this is not traditional. A wide saucepan is needed here as the rasgulla will expand upon cooking and you'll need to ensure you have enough space to accommodate them.
  
  
• Once the sugar has melted and the syrup has come to a boil, turn down the heat. Take out 1-2 cups (250ml - 500ml) of sugar syrup and reserve in a bowl. 
  
  
• Next, gently drop around 5 paneer balls into the simmering sugar syrup. Remember that they will expand so you do want to overcrowd the pan. 
  
  
• Cover the pan with the lid and let the rasgulla simmer for 10 minutes in the sugar syrup until cooked and doubled in size and have floated to the top. If they sink back down again they will be overcooked.
  
  
• Once cooked, gently remove with a slotted spoon and place into the sugar syrup you reserved earlier. If you find that the rasgulla are not keeping their shape (this could be due to the consistency of the dough), it can help to put them briefly into cold water after cooking. This helps them keep their shape and stops them overcooking. 
  
  
• Serve rasgulla warm or lukewarm/cool with extra sugar syrup and garnish with saffron strands if you like! Rasgulla keeps well in the fridge for a few days, just remember to keep them submerged in sugar syrup, otherwise they will dry out. If eating rasgulla out of the fridge, let them come to room temperature before serving!

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