Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 litre Whole Milk
2-3 tbsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
2 cups Sugar
1½ litre water
2 tbsp Rose Water
3-4 Pods of Green Cardamom (Optional)
½ tsp Cardamom Seeds (Optional)
Pinch of Saffron Stands (Kēsara) for Garnish
1 tbsp Pistachio Flakes for Garnish
Method:
Line a strainer or bowl with a cheesecloth or muslin and set aside.
Bring the milk to a boil, stirring continuously with a whisk on high heat to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom.
Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and add 1½ tbsp of vinegar. Stir the milk with a spoon, as it will start to curdle. If it doesn't, add more, and it should curdle completely with green whey water.
Pour the curdled milk into a lined strainer or a bowl, gather the muslin from the sides, and rinse the chhena under cold water until the tangy taste has gone.
Squeeze the muslin with your hands to remove the excess water from the chhena, then place a heavy weight on it for 8-10 minutes.
Remove the chhena from the muslin, as it should be crumbly.
To make the sugar syrup, Add the sugar to the water in a wide pan with the cardamom pods, bring it to a boil, and then add the rose water.
Meanwhile, knead the chhena to a smooth dough for 4-5 minutes; just about the chhena turns greasy, then stop kneading. (It should not be grainy)
Make small, round balls of the chhena about 1 inch round and put them on a plate. (At this point, I put the cardamom seed in the chhena.)
Once the sugar syrup is boiling, add the rasgulla and cover. Cook on medium-high heat, as the syrup has to be boiling when cooking. Stir the rasgullas gently after 5 minutes with a skewer, and cover immediately.
It will take about 8-10 minutes as they will come up and double in size. (Press the rasgulla with your finger; if it bounces back they are cooked)
Remove from heat and let cool with the lid on for 20 minutes; once at room temperature, transfer them to a big bowl with the sugar syrup and refrigerate. They should be nicely soft and spongy.
Garnish with saffron stands and pistachio flakes and serve cold.
NB:
Keep them covered with the sugar syrup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and consume them within a week.
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