Rasmalai is the perfect dessert to make ahead of time. This rasmalai will melt in your mouth and you cannot have just one. It is made with homemade cheese or paneer as we call it in India. But don’t use store bought paneer because it won’t turn out to be as soft as home made one. This Rasmalai Recipe will help you to make the softest, spongiest rasmalai.
Traditionally, soft balls or paneer discs are soaked in reduced milk. However, my rasmalai recipe uses a shortcut method that will make it easy and quick to make softest and delicious rasmalai.
If you like this recipe, you may also like our baked mango yogurt.
The important tip to make the softest cheese balls is to bring the temperature of the milk down as soon as it curdles completely. If you continue to cook the curdled milk than the cheese balls or discs will become hard and the recipe will be unsalvageable. I use vinegar mixed in water to curdle the milk. And then I use this tofu press to drain all the water from the cheese.
Once you remove all the liquid from the cheese, knead it a little like you would knead dough. Divide the cheese into small lime sized portions and shape them into discs. Cook these discs in boiling sugar water until they double in size. Please check out the video for visual instructions.
To make the thickened milk for soaking the cheese discs, boil milk and add a can of condensed milk. Your milk will thicken instantaneously.
If you love Cooking, then you should definitely Stay tuned to stunning recipes by subscribing to our YouTube channel and liking/following our Facebook page
The Best Rasmalai Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tin condensed milk
- 5 cups water
- 4 tbsp sugar + more if needed
- 5-6 pods cardamom
- 1 pinch cardamom powder
- 1 pinch saffron strands
Garnish
- 1 pinch saffron strands
- 1 sprinkle chopped nuts (pistachios or almonds)
Instructions
- Bring half a gallon of milk to a boil.
- Add 1/4cup water mixed with vinegar and stir gently till milk curdles.
- Turn off the stove and add ice cubes to bring the temperature down and prevent the cheese from cooking further.
- Strain the paneer or cheese in a cheesecloth. Wash it in the cheesecloth several times to remove traces of vinegar. A tofu press (link above) can be used to expedite the process of squeezing out water. Should take about an hour.
- In a separate pan, bring the remaining 1/2 gallon milk to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in condensed milk, add cardamom powder and some saffron strands.
- Turn off the stove once the milk reaches desired consistency and let it cool.
- In a fresh pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil and add sugar and cardamom pods.
- Knead the strained cheese for about 10 minutes to prevent rasmalai from cracking.
- Use your hands to make slightly flattened discs of cheese or paneer.
- Gently toss the discs in boiling water.
- Cover the lid and boil for 10 minutes or until the discs have doubled in size.
- Turn off the stove and let it cool completely.
- Once cooled, use your palms to squeeze out water from the cheese discs and soak them in the cooled milk.
- Chill in the refrigerator and garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachios or almonds.
DISCLAIMER:
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only. Actual numbers may be different from those provided below. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I love this! I think I’m going to make it for my husband for Valentine’s Day!!