RASMALAI

Steps:

• For the cheese balls: Bring the milk to boiling point.
• Add the lime juice/ vinegar in little doses till the milk curdles completely and the liquid separates from the cheese.
• Strain the cheese after washing it in a number of changes of water to ensure that there are no traces of the lime or vinegar left.
• Hang it in a cheesecloth for about 40 mins to allow the remaining water to drip away.
• Put the drained cheese on a plate or in a food processor.
• Knead or blend on low to a smooth consistency.
• Now add the baking powder and flour (if using)- add it only if the dough is too sticky and unmanageable.
• In the mean while keep the water to boil and add the sugar to it.
• Let it dissolve completely.
• Skim away any impurities.
• Bring to a simmering point.
• While this is boiling shape the dough into 20 little walnut shaped balls if making rasgollas (balls in sugar syrup) and into flat shapes like patties for rasmalai.
• Add the balls to the syrup (put one on a trial basis first if it breaks up you may need to add a little more flour to the dough. Otherwise you may end up with all of them forming a huge mess in the water) and simmer on low heat till the balls are double in size (about 10 mins)- for rasgollas you may have to boil them for around 20 mins and add the cardamom and saffron to the water.
• Carefully remove the balls with a slotted spoon and keep aside for 3-4 mins to drain.
• For the rasgollas pour the syrup over the balls when it has cooled and refrigerate till needed.
• For the rasmalai you will have to make the thickened milk: Reduce the 500 ml milk to half (250 ml) on low heat stirring occasionally (add the cardamom powder to the milk as it simmers).
• Add the sugar stir, cool and refrigerate.
• To serve, pour the chilled milk over the cheese balls and refrigerate for atleast 30 mins.
• Sprinkle with the saffron strands and the pistachios.
• Alternatively you can add the saffron and rose water instead of the cardamom as the milk boils so that it gets coloured for a kesari rasmalai.
• Note: Most of the time I do not thicken the milk too much but just bring the milk to a boil and add sugar and give the rasgollas a boil in the milk too and then chill.