Indian Rasgulla Recipe – Sweet Dumplings of Milk Curd

I finally had the courage to make my favorite Indian Dessert called Rasgulla ( Rasagola). Yesterday was Diwali in India, 80% of Indian household celebrated the festival of Lights and Good v/s Evil.  This would be one of the many sweets made. It is also popular in many Indian restaurants. Could be a recipe to be added to this year’s Thanksgiving Feast 🙂

These soft pillowy milk curd rounds are cooked in a rose or cardamom infused sugar syrup. There are a few variations to the recipe some use cream of wheat or white flour as a binding agent which is added to the milk curd dough. Making rasgullas is a 2 step process where first you make the chhena (milk curd). Next, after kneading the milk curd to a smooth dough and dividing into small balls is to cook them in a sugar syrup till they double in size.

Do note traditionally the sugar syrup is made with white refined sugar. My syrup has a brown tint as I used organic unrefined sugar. You can use this same recipe to make rasmalai

Serving Size : 3-4

Ingredients:

4 cup of whole milk

3 tbsp of lemon juice

2 cups of water

3/4 – 1 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp of cardamon powder

2 pinches of salt

1 tbsp of rose-water (optional)

Directions:

To make the milk curd. Bring 4 cups of milk to a light boil. Next add the lemon juice and cook it for another 5-7 minutes till all the milk curd separates from the whey.

Drain into a colander covered with a cheesecloth. Rinse the milk curd with water to take off any lemon taste and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Twist the cheesecloth and hang it for about 30 minute. Till most of the liquid drains out.

On a smooth surface knead the milk curd to a smooth dough for about 5-7 minutes.  Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and shape them into balls.

On the side in a new wide mouth pot heat water, sugar and cardamom powder till all the sugar is dissolved add a 2 pinches of salt.

To the boiling syrup now add the milk balls, cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes till they double in size.

Take off heat. Serve them hot with some crushed pistachios and saffron strands or cool it in the refrigerator. Will stay for about a week.