I have a sweet tooth specially for western desserts made with chocolates and chocolates in its raw form. But when it comes to Indian sweets, I can literally count the number I love on my fingers. And one of them is rasmalai. Rasmali is something I just cannot resist. Over the years I’ve realized that the quality of rasmalai available in the market is not as good as it used to be and so my search for an awesome rasmalai recipe began. Mine is a recipe that can be easily replicated at home and as an icing on the proverbial cake, you can save a few bucks. By quality here I mean the thickness of the milk in which the rasgullas are dunked (yes rasmali is made with rasgullas), saffron (shops only use colours to get that beautiful shade of yellow) and the stringent amount of dry fruits (pistas and amonds) because of their high costs. I love a luxurious rasmalai where the rasgulla is soaked in rich thickened milk with the perfect amount of sweetness, the milk is a golden yellow colour from saffron and dotted with pistas and almonds like the clear night blue sky in a jungle dotted with stars. And yes, I love to drink the thickened milk, a good portion of it and the only way to get to do it is to make your own. Now that’s my kind of rasmalai. Here I am with my recipe of a luxurious rasmalai, you can sink your teeth in to and experience a bite of heaven. My rasmalai recipe is quick and easy to make as I use store bought rasgullas. But for others who are feeling a bit more adventurous and would like to make their own rasgullas, I would be posting the recipe of it very soon. Be on the lookout.
I generally thicken the milk a day in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Then reheat it the next day and add the rest of the ingredients. This ensures I get thick thick milk. It is absolutely essential to use full fat milk if you are looking forward to a bite of heaven.
Boil 1.5 litres of full fat milk in a heavy bottom pan.
Simmer it and let it boil until it reduces to ½ its original quantity.
Keep stirring the milk occasionally to make sure it does not burn.
Soak 50 grams almonds in warm water for 1 hour, remove the skin and then finely slice them.
Finely chop 50 grams unsalted de-shelled pista.
Once the milk has been reduced to half the original quantity add
+ 75 grams of sugar
+ 2 pinches of saffron.
(For saffron : put 2 pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp of hot milk, crush it with the help of a pestle until it releases its colour)
Once the sugar has dissolved in the thickened milk , squeeze out the 10 store bought rosogullas of their sweet sugar syrup in a separate bowl.
Add these squeezed rosogullas to the milk.
Add:
+finely chopped pistas
+ almonds
Heat the milk just until boiled
(This is to make sure that the milk seeps into the rosogullas. The Rosogullas are like sponge and should soak in the milk with this trick)
Switch off the flame and let it cool.
Once cool refrigerate it for 4-5 hours.
Best served chilled garnished with almonds, pistas and few strands of saffron.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil 1.5 litres of full fat milk in a heavy bottom pan.
Simmer it and let it boil until it reduces to ½ its original quantity.
Keep stirring the milk occasionally to make sure it does not burn.
Soak 50 grams almonds in warm water for 1 hour, remove the skin and then finely slice them.
Finely chop 50 grams unsalted de-shelled pista.
Once the milk has been reduced to half the original quantity add
+ 75 grams of sugar
+ 2 pinches of saffron.
(For saffron : put 2 pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp of hot milk, crush it with the help of a pestle until it releases its colour)
Once the sugar has dissolved in the thickened milk , squeeze out the 10 store bought rosogullas of their sweet sugar syrup in a separate bowl.
Add these squeezed rosogullas to the milk.
Add:
+finely chopped pistas
+ almonds
Heat the milk just until boiled
(This is to make sure that the milk seeps into the rosogullas. The Rosogullas are like sponge and should soak in the milk with this trick)
Switch off the flame and let it cool.
Once cool refrigerate it for 4-5 hours.
Best served chilled garnished with almonds, pistas and few strands of saffron.