Ras malai

// typical Bengali sweet//

Ingredients:

For Malai:

• Whole milk – 2 cups
• Cardamom powder – a generous pinch
• Saffron – 10-15 strands
• Pistachios – 10 nos (finely chopped)
• Sugar – ¾ cup (for malai)
• Sugar – ½ cup ( for boiling chenna)

For chenna/ solid milk balls:

• Whole milk – 2 cups
• Lemon juice – 2 tsp (or) more if req
• Cheese cloth/ muslin cloth

Procedure:

Step 1:

Making Malai:

• Malai means “Cream” – in a heavy bottomed pan add 2 cups of whole milk bring it to boil. Now add some saffron, cardamom powder and sugar to the milk. Allow it to reduce half the quantity, stir occasionally.
• Now the rich and delicious malai is ready

Step 2:

Making Chenna:

• Bring it to boil the milk. Add 2 tsp of lemon juice to the boiling milk, it start curdle. Keep stirring the milk until curdle completely.
• If not add some more lemon juice to the milk and for sure it will get curdle.
• Pour the milk over the cheese cloth and rinse well with some fresh cold water, in order to take off the lemon flavor from the chenna.
• Squeeze out the excess whey water from the chenna and wrap it tightly
• Now place some heavy weight (like pestle or heavy bottomed vessel) over the chenna for about 15-30 mins.
• Knead the chenna for about 2-3 mins and form a disc/ round shape and keep aside.

Step 3:

Boiling chenna in sugar syrup:

• Add ½ cup of sugar in a cup of water, bring it to boil.
• Now add the chenna discs to the boiling syrup. Cover with a lid and cook it for 8- 10 mins under medium flame.(or)
• Once the chenna has doubled in size and floats over the syrup, it is ready to take out.

Step 4:

• Take off the chenna from the syrup and gently squeeze out the excess syrup in between your palms and add the disc to the malai.Garnish with some fresh pistachios and saffron. Serve cold

Spl Note:

Since i’m very much addicted to this particular sweet, i’m posting this on my south indian sweet category. (no-offence :-))