Rasgulla/Roshgolla

I am glad to inform you all that ‘Tangyskitchen-concoctions of a cookaholic’-my little blog turns one today. Yay! I m in cloud nine. This blog has taught me so many things and I continue to learn and grow with it.
When I started blogging I never thought that it would become such a big part of my life. The process which I took up just to kill boredom now makes me ask for 25 hours a day! That doesn’t mean I m busy or engaged, but I have gained a lot of knowledge about various things, showed me a few dimensions of life, dug out the inner desires that were buried deep down and have even found new interests like photography ! Apart from food and photography I have learnt quite a lot. I have been following few bloggers who inspire me and even make me wish and dream and pray that someday I could write and click like them.

Well its the best time to celebrate, if only I had a working oven I would have made a cake. As that option was out of question, the next best thing would be an Indian dessert that is my favorite, the Rasgullas. I love love these snow white balls. I could just keep popping them into my mouth all day. They are easy to prepare and tastes soft, spongy and yummy!

Ingredients:

Milk-1/2 liter (full fat)

Fresh thick curd-6-7tbsp/Lemon juice-2 tbsp

Sugar-3/4 cup

Water-1 & ¾ cup

Cardamom-3 pods, crushed

Rose essence-2 drops

Nuts & Saffron- for garnish (optional)

How It Happened:

1. Heat milk in a large pan, when it starts rolling boiling, simmer the flame and add 2 tbsp of curd and mix well. The milk will start curdling, slowly keeping adding the curd and keep stirring. When the milk is completely split and greenish whey is separated from the milk solids stop adding the curd and switch off the flame.

2. Line a colander with clean cheese cloth and drain the whey completely. The milk solids will be collected in the cheese cloth. Now slightly squeeze out the excess liquid and hang it for around 30 minutes so all the liquid drips off.

3. After 30 minutes, the whey is completely drained and the collected milk solids are called Chenna. This chenna has to be kneaded well for 10-15 minutes.

4. When you start kneading, the chenna will be crumbly but after 10 minutes of kneading the chenna will come together and will be soft.  Now divide them into equal sized portions and make smooth balls. I got 10 small rasgullas for the above measures.

5. In a pressure cooker, add water, sugar, crushed cardamom and rose essence and heat it. Keep stirring and when the sugar is completely dissolved, slowly slide in the balls into the sugar syrup, close the lid put on the weight and maintain the flame at medium for 1 whistle then simmer the flame and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Switch off the flame and let it cool. When the pressure is completely is released, remove the lid and you can see the ragullas have doubled in size absorbing the sugar syrup. Now transfer it to a clean container and throw in a few strands of saffron, lid on then refrigerate it.

7. Serve chilled topped with chopped nuts. You can also serve it warm.

Notes:

* Keep stirring the milk while adding curd so as to facilitate curdling. The amount of curd needed depends on the milk so if the milk is separated completely then stop adding the curd. But I use whole 6 tablespoons of curd. You can use lemon juice but I feel that there is a faintest smell of lemon even after washing the chenna well in running water. If curd is used its just wholesome milkiness! You can also whey to curdle milk.

* After straining through the cheese cloth do not squeeze the chenna too tight else it will turn out hard. Also usually its suggested to add a few ice cubes into the curdled milk after switching off the flame so as to stop cooking else the chenna may turn out hard. But what I do is strain the milk immediately on cheese cloth and run it through cold water. So far my chenna was fine and soft.

* Kneading is the key to get soft spongy and airy rasgullas so some elbow grease can be helpful. Also if you have a dough hook in your mixer you can use it.

* Pressure cooker is a standard method but you can do open pot boiling as well. You can cook it for 10-12 minutes/until the rasgullas double in size.

* If you feel the sugar syrup is thin, then just leave the lid open and cook it in medium flame for 5 more minutes.

* I like rose flavor so I used. You can skip it.

* You can serve warm or chilled and garnish is your choice. They keep well for 4 days when refrigerated.