← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 2 l whole milk
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1 l iced water
• 1 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch) (optional)
• 250 g Sugar
• 1.2 l Water
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp Rose water (optional)

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil, turn off the heat and wait 1 minute. Add the diluted lemon juice a little at a time, stirring gently, until the milk splits into white curds and clear greenish whey.
2. Pour in the iced water to stop the cooking, then drain through a muslin-lined sieve. Rinse the chhena under cold water to remove the lemon taste, then squeeze it and hang it for 30 min until just moist, not wet.
3. Tip the chhena onto a clean surface and knead with the heel of your hand for 8–10 min (with the cornflour if using) until it is smooth, slightly greasy and leaves no crumbs.
4. Roll into 16 smooth, crack-free balls about 3 cm across.
5. Bring the sugar and water to a rolling boil with the cardamom in a wide pan. Drop in the balls, cover and boil hard for 15 min, until they double in size. Keep the boil vigorous the whole time.
6. Turn off the heat, add the rose water and let the rasgullas cool in the syrup, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tips

• Cracks in the balls mean the chhena needs more kneading; any that crack in the syrup will fall apart.
• Use the pan generously sized: rasgullas need room to swell.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Cook With Manali Hebbar's Kitchen