Ras Malai~Indian cooking challenge April 2010

Ras Malai-A rich, luscious and creamy Bengali dessert made from reduced milk and paneer. It is delicately flavoured with cardamom and saffron and finished with nuts. Served chilled this dessert is simply heaven to indulge.

Ras Malai-Indian cooking challenge April 2010- The original recipe was provided by Lavi.
I followed recipe as stated ,the only adjustment I made were that I halved the quantity specified as this was my 1st attempt at making this wonderful dessert.

Ingredients:

For paneer:

1 litre Milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon maida (all purpose flour)

For sugar syrup:

2.5 cups water
4 tablespoons sugar

For milk syrup:

3 cups milk
4 tablespoons Sugar
1 large pinch Saffron
1 teaspoon cardamom powder.

For Garnish:

1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts
1 tablespoon almond slivers
Few strands saffron



Method:

Step 1-Making the Rasa

1.In a heavy bottom pan add 1 litre of milk and bring to boil, add the saffron and turn heat to simmer.
2.Let the milk reduce on low heat stirring intermittently taking care not to burn it.
3.Some milk solids will form, that is ok just stir them in this will enhance creaminess to finished Rasa.
4.Once milk has halved in quantity add the sugar and let it dissolve. (It took about 40 minutes cooking time to half the milk)
5. Add the cardamom powder and stir in. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Step 2- Making the paneer

6. In a heavy bottomed pan add 1 litre of milk, bring to boil.
7. Once milk has boiled add the lemon juice and stir.
8. Continue to stir and milk will curdle and separate.
9. Leave for 5 minutes and you will see whey and milk solids separated.
10. Place muslin cloth in a colander and pour the separated milk in it.
11. Take the colander to the sink and run cold water over the separated milk to remove traces of lemon juice.
12. Squeeze out the access water from the paneer , rewrap paneer in muslin and place a heavy object over it to help drain all water out and to ensure paneer is dry.
13. Leave for 30 minutes.
14. After 30 minutes paneer will have formed a lump as most of the water has been removed from it.
15. Transfer paneer to a bowl add the maida and knead to form soft dough like consistency.
16. Roll out 12 walnut sized small balls from the paneer making sure there are no cracks and flatten them slightly like patties. (These will make 120 bite sized Ras malai)

Step 3- Making the sugar syrup.

17. In a wide-bottomed saucepan with lid, add 2.5cups of water and 4 table spoons of sugar.
18. Allow the syrup to boil, then add the paneer ball's one by one into it. (Don’t be afraid of the ball's getting broken, if you have kneaded the paneer well, it won’t get broken.)
19. Cover the pan and let the paneer balls cook for 10 -12 minutes on slow flame in the sugar syrup.
20. After 12 minutes check that the paneer balls are spongy and doubled in size.
21. Allow paneer balls t to cool slightly and when you can handle them, remove each ball with spoon. Slightly press each ball between your palms to remove the excess sugar syrup.
22. Place the squeezed balls in the Rasa made in step one. They will soak up some of the rasa.
23. Transfer the Ras Malai to a serving dish and garnish with chopped pistachio nuts, almond slivers few strands of saffron.


Chill before serving.


NB- The author of the recipe had suggested to save and refrigerate the whey water for making roti dough and for using it instead of lemon juice to make next batch of paneer.

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