Rasmalai is a very famous sweet dish in Pakistan. Pakistani make and serve this delicious dish on special events and serving it to guests is their special trait. It is suitable for not only children and young but also older people who enjoy it happily. Saffron added to it enhances the flavor of ras malai to a great level.


rasmalai recipe


From Where Rasmalai originated?


Rasmalai is a famous dessert that is known to be originated in the Indian subcontinent. These regions are the eastern sides of India and Bangladesh. It is still enjoyed a lot in these regions and they serve this dish on their special occasions. It is their special dessert that consists of spongy and soft cheese balls soaked in flavored and sweet milk syrup. Cardamom, saffron, and sugar are added to milk to enhance its flavor.


The name “Ras Malai” originated from two Hindi words “Ras’ which gives meaning of juice and “malai” which means cream. These words symbolize the syrupy sweetness and creamy texture of the dish.


Ingredients for Rasmalai:


  • 1 liter of full-fat milk
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice
  • Half cup sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 3-4 green cardamom pods (crushed)
  • Chopped almonds and pistachios for garnishing



Instructions to make Rasmalai:


1.  First, boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan to prepare the paneer. When milk is near to boil, add vinegar or lemon juice slowly. During this continuously stir the milk. This will cause the milk to curdle and the liquid will separate from the solid contents of the milk. Then turn the stove off.


2.  Use a muslin cloth or cheesecloth to separate the paneer from the liquid. Then use cold water to rinse the paneer. This will remove the sourness of lemon juice or vinegar.


3.  In order to drain out the extra water, hang the paneer for about 30 minutes. Placing any heavy object on the paneer containing cloth also helps to remove excess water.


4.  After getting the paneer ready, knead the paneer for about five to seven minutes to make it smooth and pliable. 


5.  Make small balls from paneer and give them a round shape. Then flatten these round balls slightly.


6.  Take a separate pan and add water, sugar, cardamom pods, and saffron to the pan. Boil this mixture and allow it to simmer for some minutes.


7.  Then put the paneer balls to simmering syrup and cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes on low heat. The paneer balls will absorb the milk syrup and expand.  These balls become spongy and soft.


8.  Then turn off the stove and allow the ras malai to cool at room temperature.


9.  Do garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios and serve the chilled ras malai.



Rasmalai special recipe


10.  Then enjoy your favorite and delicious ras malai!



Rasmalai served hot or cold:


Serving chilled Rasmalai is a traditional practice because chilled rasmalai has a refreshing taste and balances out the sweetness of the syrup. However, some people prefer to serve warm Rasmalai as it gives them comfort in cold weather. 


However, it is the preference of individuals whether they want cold or hot Rasmalai. Both types of ras malai have their unique texture and taste. You can try both hot and cold ras malai to choose your favorite one. 



Tips to make perfect ras malai:


1.  To make perfect ras malai, the first thing that is needed is patience, focus on detailed steps, and a few tips. 


2.  Always use fresh and full-fat milk while making cheese. This will result in tender and soft cheese balls.


3.  Kneading the cheese in a good manner is necessary to eliminate extra water. But the cheese should not too wet and crumbly.


4.  Try to make perfect shapes of cheese balls and flatten them evenly. In this way, balls will be cooked evenly and milk syrup will be perfectly absorbed.


5.  You should boil the cheese balls in sugar syrup at least for 8-10 minutes to cook them thoroughly. If you overcook the cheese balls, they will become hard.


6.  Make sure that the cheese balls are completely cooled before you add them to the milk mixture. Otherwise, cheese balls will break apart if you put them hot in milk syrup.


7.  Avoid using skimmed milk to make cheese because it will not give you a creamy texture. Use full-fat milk in making cheese.


8.  Make sure to add a pinch of saffron to the milk.  Saffron gives a beautiful golden color and amazing flavor to any recipe.


9.  While stirring, make sure to stir gently otherwise cheese balls will break off. 


10.  Before serving ras malai, chill the Rasmalai in the refrigerator for at least two hours. This will enhance the flavor of Rasmalai and give the cheese balls time to absorb milk syrup thoroughly.


  

 What to do if ras malai dough is too sticky?


If you feel that the dough of ras malai is too sticky, then you can try a few tricks to sought this out.


1. Add more flour: 

If the dough is too sticky, it may be due to less flour content in the dough. You can add more flour to the dough. First, add a little bit and mix it well until the dough becomes non-sticky. This will make your Rasmalai balls soft.


2. Knead the dough:

Sometimes the dough is sticky because you have not properly kneaded the dough. In that case, you should knead the dough properly to make it less- sticky. It helps to develop the gluten in the dough and makes the dough soft.


3. Chill the dough:

If your prepared dough is too sticky, you can make it less- sticky by keeping it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Chilling should be done before shaping the paneer into balls. This will make the dough easier to manage.


4. Using a binding agent:

If you want the particles of dough held together, then add a binding agent to the dough. You can use cornstarch or arrowroot powder for this purpose.


5. Use less milk: 

If you have added too much milk to the dough, it will also make it sticky. It is suggested to use less amount of milk to make the dough.


  

How to know if rasmalai is spoiled?


Sometimes we put a lot of effort into making our desired dish but due to some mistakes, all our effort gets destroyed. Sometimes we even do not know if our dish is made perfectly or got spoiled. Here are some steps to determine if our ras malai is perfect or not.


1. Sense of sight to judge Rasmalai:

If ras malai is looking discolored or after storing for some days, you see molds growing on it. It means you should not use this sweet dish.


2. Smell: 

If your cooked Rasmalai has a sour or unusual odor, it means it is not proper to use it. It should be wasted.


3. Taste:

Sometimes our sweet dish like ras malai looks good and also has a good smell but its taste is bad. This is also a sign of unperfect Rasmalai and you should avoid using it.


If you have doubts about the good condition of ras malai, then it is better to not use it. If you use spoiled food it may badly affect your health and you may suffer from food poisoning. Then it is better to remain on the safe side.

 

How to soften hard ras malai balls?


Sometimes,  your ras malai balls get hard because of overcooking or not absorbing the milk syrup properly. In such a condition, it is no need to worry about it. You just have to try these simple tricks.


Ras malai balls


1. Soak the rasmalai balls in warm milk:

 Soak the hard balls of ras malai in warm milk for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will make them moist and soft.


2. Soaking the ras malai balls in sugar syrup:

If the balls of ras malai are extremely hard, then it is best to soak them in warm sugar syrup for a longer time. The balls will absorb the sugar syrup and become soft.


3. Using microwave:

You can put hard balls of ras malai in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to make them soft. However, you should be careful not to keep them in the microwave for a longer time. This will cause the balls to break or make them rubbery.


4. Adding cream:

You can try another method to soften the hard ras malai balls which is adding condensed milk or some fresh cream to the syrup. This causes the syrup to become thick and the balls soft.


5. Using a fork:

It is also suggested to pick the hard balls of ras malai with a fork. This will enhance the absorbance of milk syrup in the balls and make them softer. 


Overall, it's best to prevent ras malai balls from becoming too hard in the first place by not overcooking them and soaking them in syrup for an adequate amount of time.


Rasmalai health benefits:


Although ras malai is delicious it has high contents of sugar and calories. So it should be moderately consumed in your balanced diet. In rasmalai there are some ingredients that are useful for our health.


1. Paneer:

Paneer which is the main part of ras malai, contains proteins. These are important to build and repair tissues in our body. Paneer also contains calcium which makes our teeth and bones strong.


2. Cardamom: 

 Cardamom is a famous spice and is mostly used in sweet dishes to enhance their flavor. It also contains anti-inflammatory characteristics and also helps to improve digestion.


3. Saffron:

Saffron is a special spice that is taken from the crocus flower. It has amazing flavor and smell and is also added to ras malai. It is known to have antioxidant properties and lessen the symptoms of depression.


4. Nuts: 

Some people also add nuts like almonds and pistachios in Rasmali to increase their taste. These nuts contain healthy fats, fiber, and protein which make your ras malai full of nutrients and special.


Overall, while this may not be the healthiest dessert option, it does contain some ingredients that offer potential health benefits. However, it is important to consume it in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.


How to store ras malai?


If you want to store Rasmalai to use after some days, here are guidelines.


1. Refrigerating ras malai:

You should always store ras malai in the refrigerator. Use plastic wrap to cover this sweet dish or keep it in an airtight container. This will save it from drying out and it will not absorb other flavors in the refrigerator.


2. Shelf Life:

The maximum shelf life of ras malai in the fridge is 2-3 days. You must use it during this duration.


3. Freezing Rasmalai:

You can also freeze this sweet dish to store it for a longer duration. First, wrap each piece of ras malai ball in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then keep them in a freezer bag. You can keep the ras malai in the freezer for a month. But it is too difficult to practice and not suggested.


4. Thawing: 

To warm the frozen Rasmalai,  take it from the freezer and allow it to settle at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Thawing this dish in the fridge overnight is the second option.


5. Serving: 

When you want to serve the ras malai, first take it from the freezer or refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.



Rasmalai for diabetes patients:


Rasmalai is not a suitable dish for people having diabetes or those who want to regulate their blood sugar levels. As ras malai is a sweet dish, it contains high sugar content and causes a sudden spike in blood sugar levels. This situation is harmful to people who are already suffering from diabetes. 



However, if a diabetic o wants to eat ras malai, there are some suggested changes that can be made to the Rasmalai recipe. After these modifications, diabetic people can also eat ras malai without any serious danger to their health.


1. Using low-fat milk:

To make ras malai for a diabetic person, instead of using full-fat milk it is best to use low-fat milk or skimmed milk. This will decrease the fat and calorie content of ras malai.


2. Use a sugar substitute: 

Sugar used in the ras malai recipe can be replaced with Splenda or stevia. These substitutes of sugar contain low calories and so do not cause sudden increases in blood sugar levels.


3. Use paneer, not ricotta cheese:

Normally, ricotta cheese is used to make ras malai. However, paneer which is a type of Indian cheese and low in fat and calories can be used instead of ricotta cheese.


4. Decrease the serving size:

For diabetic patients, the large serving size of ras malai or any other sweet dairy product is not suitable. So, they should be served in small serving sizes to maintain the intake of sugar and calories.


If you are suffering from diabetes or other health problems, it is most suitable to consult with a healthcare professional before doing any modifications to your diet plan.



Angoori Rasmalai:


Angoori Rasmalai is a famous Indian sweet dish that is made from cottage cheese (paneer). The cheese balls are basically soaked in sweet thick milk. Here are guidelines to make angoori Rasmalai.


angoori ras malai


Ingredients for Angoori Rasmalai:


  • 1 liter of full-fat milk
  • One-fourth cup of lemon juice
  • One-fourth cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon semolina (suji)
  • One-fourth tablespoon of baking powder
  • One-fourth cup of milk
  • One cup of sugar
  • Four cups of water
  • 2 to 3 green cardamom pods
  • A few strands of saffron
  • One table spoon rose water
  • Almonds and pistachios for garnishing

Instructions to make Angoori ras malai:


1.  Take the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat it until boiling. When it starts boiling, add vinegar or lemon juice to it and mix it well. Curdles of milk will form and you will get solid cheese.


2.  Take a muslin cloth pour this curdled milk into it and wash it under running water. It will remove the excessively sour taste of lemon juice. Allow it for a while to cool down.


3.  After cooling it, knead the paneer gently to make it soft and smooth.


4.  Then you have to add baking powder, all-purpose flour, and semolina to the paneer and mix them well. Again, knead the mixture to make it smooth.


5.  Then divide the smooth mixture into small parts and make a small ball of them.


6.  Take another pan and add water, sugar, green cardamom pods, and saffron strands. Boil them for some time, until the sugar gets dissolved. 


7.  Pick the paneer balls and add them to the sugar syrup and allow them to cook for 10 to 12 minutes. During this flame should be low.


8.  After cooking the paneer balls take them off from sugar syrup and put them in a separate bowl.


9.  Then boil the remaining sugar syrup and boil it to make a thick syrup.


10.  Then add rose water to the thickened sugar syrup and pour it over the paneer balls.


11.  Allow your hot angoori ras malai to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. 


12.  Do garnishing of chilled angoori ras malai with pistachios and almonds and serve it.


13.  Now it's time to enjoy homemade special Angoori Rasmalai.


Also for you:

Sugar free rasmalai recipe

Yummy rasmalai cake recipe



References:


https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/rasmalai-recipe-easy-rasmalai-in-10-mins-diwali-recipes/

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/make-soft-arasmalai-home/