Happy Krishna Janmashtami with Rasmalai

  

Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. Although, I'm celebrating it today but the real charm of this festival exists in India. Rasa lila, Dahi Handi or uriadi are the major events on Janmashtami.

I still cherish the memories of Dahi handi (Matki Phod) in Mumbai, where teams of young men, called as Govinda, form human pyramids to reach high hanging pot filled with buttermilk and break it with a blunt object.

I remember, early morning Mom will draw little footprints outside the house with rice-flour, walking towards the house.I will keep fast the whole day and by evening Mom will prepare yummy food and sweets. The divine aroma itself kills me. After doing evening puja, I'll be found only in kitchen... ;) How can someone resist those killing aroma? And one of the favourite dishes prepared on Janmashtami is "Rasmalai".

Rasmalai is a milk sweet made with Paneer (cottage cheese) and it is served chilled. Sometimes, mom will prepare them without including saffron and sometimes with saffron, but in either way, it tastes delicious.

So this time I thought of preparing Rasmalai. Initially, I thought it would be difficult to make, but then it turns out to be quite an easy recipe. Only thing you need to take care is while preparing paneer dumplings. So, now here is the recipe of everyone's all-time favourite, Rasmalai.

  

Ingredients:

Milk (2% milk) - 3 cups ( for paneer)

Milk (2% milk) - 1 cup ( for rabadi/malai)

Condensed milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup ( for making syrup)

Sugar - 3 tbsp (for malai)

Cardamom - 1/2 tbsp

Saffron - 5-6 strands

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Pista/Almonds/Cashews - for garnishing

Method:

For Paneer:

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel by stirring constantly. When it comes to boil, add lemon juice slowly and keep stirring. Milk fat is washed out in whey water and remaining is the protein. Add cold water to this to stop curdling process, as we need soft paneer out of it and also this removes the flavor of lemon from paneer.

Strain it using muslin cloth and hang it for an hour till it drain completely. After that, rub it with clean towel for 5-6 mins. This will knead the dough and also remove some extra moisture left behind. To check whether the paneer is ready, take little bit of paneer and rub it using your thumb and you should be able to make smooth ball with it. Your paneer is ready.

Make small golf size balls and flatten slightly.

To cook paneer balls:

Take 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a pressure cooker. Heat it at high flame for sometime and once the water starts to boil, reduce it to medium flame, add paneer balls into it and close the lid. Let it whistle twice or cook for 7-8 mins. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 1 min. Keep it under running cold water and once the steam is gone, open the lid. Now you'll find the paneer balls are double in size. Keep it aside.

For Malai:

Boil the milk with sugar, cardamom and saffron in a medium flame. Keep stirring for about 20-30 mins. Now add condensed milk into it. Boil for 15 mins more. Adding condensed milk will enhance the texture of malai. Keep stirring constantly. By this time, milk will turn into thick syrup. 

Take paneer balls out and press gently to remove water from it. Add it to the malai, so that the paneer balls will absorb the milk. Remove from heat.

Let it cool or refrigerate, as it is served chilled. Garnish it with pista, almond or cashew.

Enjoy this delicacy!!! 

This recipe goes to BSI-MILK event hosted by Sanyukta.

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