Rasmalai

Rasmalai

A celebrated Bengali sweet of soft chhena discs simmered in saffron- and cardamom-scented thickened milk, served chilled and garnished with pistachios.

Prep

45 min

Cook

60 min

Total

105 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 litre (4¼ cups) full-fat whole milk, for the chhena; do not use skim
• •60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice, fresh, or substitute 30 ml white vinegar diluted in 30 ml water
• •30 g (1 oz) all-purpose flour (maida), helps bind; traditional recipes use a pinch only, increase slightly if discs crack
• •1 litre (4¼ cups) full-fat whole milk, for the rabri base
• •80 g (⅓ cup) sugar, adjust to taste once milk reduces
• •6 g (2 tbsp) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• •1 pinch saffron threads, bloomed in 15 ml warm milk
• •20 g (¼ cup) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
• •5 g (1 tsp) rose water, optional, traditional in some Bengali recipes

Steps

1. 1 Make the chhena: bring 1 litre of milk to a gentle boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally so it does not scorch. Reduce heat and stir in the lemon juice slowly until the milk curdles and the greenish whey separates clearly from the white curds, about 1–2 minutes. Do not over-acidify or the chhena will turn grainy.
2. 2 Strain the curds through muslin set over a bowl, rinse briefly under cool running water to remove lemon flavor, then gather the cloth and squeeze firmly to remove as much moisture as possible. Hang the muslin for 30 minutes so the chhena is moist but not wet — it should hold its shape when pressed.
3. 3 Knead the chhena on a clean surface for 8–10 minutes until completely smooth with no graininess; a tiny pinch rubbed between finger and thumb should feel silky, not sandy. This step is critical — under-kneaded chhena will crumble in the syrup.
4. 4 Add the flour to the kneaded chhena and work it in gently just until incorporated. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 25 g each) and roll each into a smooth ball with no cracks. Flatten each ball into a disc about 4 cm wide and 1 cm thick, pressing out any air pockets.
5. 5 Prepare a light syrup: in a wide pan combine 500 ml water with 60 g sugar and bring to a boil. Slide the discs in (do not crowd), lower heat to a gentle simmer, and poach for 6–8 minutes. They will puff up slightly and float when done. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
6. 6 Make the rabri: in a heavy wide pan simmer 1 litre of milk over medium-low heat, scraping the sides frequently. Reduce to about 600 ml, about 25–30 minutes; the milk should coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the 80 g sugar, crushed cardamom, bloomed saffron (with its soaking milk), and chopped pistachios. Simmer 5 more minutes. Off heat, stir in the rose water if using.
7. 7 Slide the warm chhena discs into the hot rabri. Do not boil them in the milk — they should just steep, covered, off the heat, for at least 20 minutes so they absorb the saffron milk. If the rabri cools, rewarm gently; do not let it boil vigorously or the discs will toughen.
8. 8 Chill thoroughly for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Serve cold in shallow bowls, spooning a generous amount of rabri over each portion, and garnish with extra chopped pistachio and a few saffron strands.