Ras Malai

Rasmalai is a great North Indian dessert served after lunch or dinner especially for parties and is one of my favorite. Rasmalai is made with cottage cheese(paneer) dumplings soaked in sweetened and light cardamom flavored milk garnished with sliced pistachios or almonds... This sweetend milk is generally known as 'Ras'(means juice) and cheese dumplings known as 'Malai'(means cream). Hence the name Rasmalai.

The process of making Rasmali includes two steps:- 1) Preparing the cheese dumplings. 2)Preparing the Ras.

So let us prepare the Rasmalai and Enjoy!!!!!!

Ingredients:-

For Paneer/Cheese dumplings

Milk - 4 cups

Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp

Water - 1tbsp

Preparation Method:-

Pour the milk in a heavy bottom pan and bring it to boil. Dilute the lemon juice with 1 tbsp of water and add slowly to the milk stirring occasionally. When the milk starts curdling switch off the flame. Keep a muslin cloth on top off the colander and strain the paneer. Run some cold water over the panner so that no lemon juice remains. Fold the edges of the muslin cloth and squeeze out all the water from the panner. Knead the paneer well with the hands till it becomes very soft. Roll it in your palm and make small lemon size balls out of it. Press each balls gently to flatten out. Pour some water in a bowl and put this panner in it till the Ras is ready.

Ingredients for Ras:-

Milk - 3 cups

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Condensed milk - 2 tbsp(optional, add bit more sugar to milk if not using condensed milk)

Saffron - 1 tsp

Cardamom pwdr - 1tsp

Chopped Pistachios/Almonds - 2 tbsp(to garnish)

Preparation Method:-

1. Pour the milk in a heavy bottom pan preferably non-stick pan and bring it to boil stirring in between.
2. When the milk starts boiling reduce the flame to medium and add saffron. Keep stirring till the milk get reduce to half and milk starts thickening.
3. Add the sugar, condensed milk and cardamom powder, stir well for 2 mins.
4. Add the paneer to it and boil it again for 4-5 mins in med flame till the sweetness of sugar and flavor of cardamom is absorbed well by the paneer.
5. Switch off the flame and let it rest for sometime. Move to a serving dish
6. Garnish with sliced pistachios/Almonds and serve chilled...