Rasmalai is an Indian dessert popular all over India. It is basically made out of chenna/ flattened paneer balls, sugar and rabri/ rabdi. As a child whenever my parents took us out to eat I’d make it sure to order Rasmalai for dessert. I used to think that it is very difficult to make the dessert. It was after I tried the recipe from various sources, one year earlier when I came to know that it’s kinda easy. In this blog I’ll share my way of making Rasmalai.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 ½  hours

Serves: 03-04 individuals

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

For the chenna/ paneer flattened balls:

Full fat Milk                                                        1 ½ liters

White Vinegar                                                    2 tbsp

Lemon Juice                                                        one whole lemon

Water                                                                  1 Liter

Sugar                                                                   5 tbsp

For the Rabdi/ Rabri:

Full Fat Milk                                                        1 ½ Liters

Sugar                                                                   200g

Cardamom Powder                                            ½ tsp

Chopped Dry Fruits                                            ½ cup

Saffron                                                                 10-12 Strands

Directions:

1. In a small bowl soak saffron strands in two tbsp of warm milk and set aside. In a wide pan heat and boil 1 ½ liter of milk. As it comes to a boil keep it away from the heat and add vinegar and lemon juice to it. Stir the milk till the milk curdles.
2. Strain the chenna in a muslin cloth and wash it under the running cold water. Tie up the chenna in the muslin cloth, squeeze off the excess water and hang it over the sink for half an hour.
3. Meanwhile in another wide pan heat and boil the remaining 1 ½ liters of water in medium low flame. As it boils stick the cream to the sides of the pan. Repeat the process till the milk reduces to half the original quantity. Also add 200g of sugar to the boiling milk and stir the milk till sugar dissolves.
4. While the milk is on heat and reducing, take the chenna out of the muslin cloth in a bowl. Mash the chenna with your palm till chenna becomes lump free. Mash and knead the chenna till the chenna combines together to form a soft mushy dough.
5. Take small amount of chenna dough on your palm and roll it into small balls. Exert very little pressure on the chenna balls to form crack free chenna balls. Then flatten the chenna balls with your palm. Keep the flattened balls on a plate. I made 9-10 flattened chenna balls.
6. Simultaneously stir the boiling milk and stick the cream to the side of the pan. In a pot heat one liter of water and add 5 tbsp of sugar to the water. Bring the water to boil and put the flattened chenna balls to the boiling water and close the lid. Cook till one the size of the flattened chenna balls doubles and they become soft when squeezed.
7. Remove the pot from heat and strain off the water. On the other side when the milk reduces to half and becomes thick, scrape of the cream from the sides. Mix well, add the chopped dry fruits (I’ve added pistachios and raisins) and cardamom powder to the rabdi/reduced milk.
8. Add the flattened chenna balls to the rabdi and simmer for five minutes and add saffron milk to the rabdi. Take it off the heat.
9. Let it cool in the fridge and serve it chilled.