RASAGULLA RECIPE

     "Rasagulla/Roshogolla" is a rich & creamy dessert made with Paneer/Chenna soaked in Sugar Syrup. An ultimate decadence from where most of the milk and cream-based sweets are known to have originated - West Bengal.  This sweet is also popular in Orissa & Eastern Parts of India. And an all-time most beloved Mishti of most Bangladeshis.
    The Rasagullas/dumpling made out of Paneer/Chenna(Ricotta/Cottage Cheese) is quite spongy and melts in your mouth. The dumplings should be soft & spongy, easy looking and a simple recipe with just Panner/Chenna, but according to me, it is a tricky recipe.  I have flawed numerous time in the attempt of perfecting Rasagullas.  I have got chewy, tough dumplings which have always made me quit the idea of preparing it at home.  But the moment I prepare fresh Paneers, my mind wanders off and convince myself to try it for one last time.  Pondering through the internet, I got through a blog "with a spin" which had reliable tips to perfect the Rasagullas and just with a few knacks, even I got through triumphantly perfecting the Rasagullas - so good that they were Spongy, Soft and melt-in-mouth.
     If you have Paneer readily then preparing Rasagullas gets quicker & easier.  Use fresh and good quality Paneer preferably home-made with full-fat milk. I usually prepare it with fresh home-made Paneer. I haven't yet tried it with store-bought Paneer.  So I am not sure how the texture of the Rasagullas would turn out with store-bought Paneers.

Tips for Soft & Spongy Rasagullas: 

• Quality of Paneer/Chenna
• Perfectly kneading the Paneer for Rasagulla.
• Cover & Cook Rasagullas
• Ample of space while cooking & soaking Rasagullas
• Consistency of the Sugar Syrup 

     I have given a detailed explanation on each step along with the method of cooking Rasagullas in a Pressure cooker at the end of the recipe for perfect soft & spongy Rasagullas. Please do read it before trying your hand with Rasagullas.  These tips are quite handy, fool proof and yield perfectly textured Rasagullas.

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Cuisine - Bengali(Indian, Bangladeshi)
Recipe Type - Sweet, Dessert
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 10-12 Medium Sized Rasagullas
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 45 Minutes - 1 Hour
Soaking Time - 25-30 MInutes or up to 1 Hour


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HOW TO MAKE RASAGULLA - SPONGY RASAGULLA

RASAGULLA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

For  Rasagullas:

Paneer/Chenna - 1 Cup

For HOMEMADE PANEER RECIPE, click here...

For Sugar Syrup :

Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Water - 11/2 Cups
Cardamom - 1 No.
Kewra Essence/Rose Water - a Drop(Optional)

To Garnish:

Pisatchios - Few(Optional)
Saffron Strands - Few(Optional)

METHOD :

For Rasagulla:

• Crumble the Paneer/Chenna and knead it into a soft dough.
• Knead the Paneer with finger and heels of your palms until some ghee/oil leaves out from the Paneer. 
• Alternatively, while crumbling the Paneer, you can give a quick pulse in a mixer grinder/blender for just 30-45 seconds.
• There should be no lumps or solids in the Paneer.
• Knead the Paneer for about 10-15 Minutes or until you get a smooth & non-sticky dough.
• Pinch small portions out of the Paneer dough, make small balls and keep it aside.

For Sugar Syrup:

• Dissolve Sugar in Water along with Cardamom Powder.  Boil this into a thin Sugar syrup.
• Drop the Paneer Balls slowly into the Sugar Syrup and cover the saucepan with a lid.
• Let it cook undisturbed for about 30-35 Minutes or until the Paneer Balls bloat up.
• It would have almost doubled the size, if not cover and cook for few more minutes.  
• To check whether it is cooked, press it with the back of a spoon, if it springs back then it's perfect.
• Alternatively drop a Rasagulla into a cup of water, if it sinks then it is perfectly cooked.
• If it is not cooked, cook Rasagullas for few more minutes.
• Switch off the flame and leave it aside for about 25-30 Minutes or up to an hour.
• Keep the lid covered all the time.
• Serve Rasagullas warm or at room temperature or chilled.
• Store Rasagulla covered in a refrigerator.
• Can serve Rasagullas as such or combine it along with Rabri/Rabdi to make yet another delicious dessert called Rasmalai. 

For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE RAS MALAI, Click here...

TIPS & TRICKS FOR SOFT & SPONGY RASAGULLAS

RASAGULLA RECIPE

 

NOTES(Tips & Tricks):

For perfect Soft & Spongy Rasagullas

*Quality of Paneer/Chenna:

• Quality of Paneer reflects on the texture of Rasgullas, so always go for fresh and good quality paneers, preferably homemade.
• Prepare Paneer with full cream Milk, no low fat or skimmed milk.
• Boil the Milk.  Once it boils, add the acidic agent for the Milk to curdle.
• While making Paneer at home(for Rasagulla), do not boil the Milk after adding the acidic agent like Lemon Juice/Vinegar.
• Once the Milk is curdled add few Ice cubes to the above.  The idea is to stop anymore curdling.
• This may lead to Chewy Rasagullas.
• Wash the Paneer thoroughly to remove any taste of Vinegar/Lemon Juice in it.
• Drain the water and tie it up in a clean Muslin/Cheesecloth.
• Squeeze it well so that the excess water is removed from the Paneer.
• Hang the Panner tied up in a Muslin cloth for any excess water to drain off.
• Do not allow the Paneer to dry up or leave it aside for longer than necessary.
• Hang it in the Muslin cloth for just 4-5 hours.
• Make sure the Paneer is slightly moist and crumbly.  It shouldn't be dry.
• If the Paneer is too dry, the Rasagullas would get tougher and dry.
• If the Paneer is watery or if the excess water has not drained off well, then the Rasagullas will break and scatter into the syrup.

*Kneading the Paneer for Rasagulla:

• Kneading is the most important step in getting perfectly soft & spongy Rasagullas.  
• Knead the Paneer with finger and heels of your palms until some ghee/oil leaves out from the Paneer. 
• Alternatively, while crumbling the Paneer, you can give a quick pulse in a mixer grinder/blender for just 30-45 seconds.
• There should be no lumps or solids in the Paneer.
• Knead the Paneer for about 10-15 Minutes or until you get a smooth & non-sticky dough.
• Pinch small portions of Paneer and roll it out into small balls without any cracks.

*For Sugar Syrup:

• Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your taste preference.
• I have used 1/2 Cup of Sugar and 11/2 Cups of Water for the Sugar Syrup.
• I like Rasagulla to be mildly sweet, adjust to suit your sweet level.
• Adding Cardamom, Rose Essence/Kewra Essence is purely optional.
• But these flavourings give a wonderful aroma to Rasagullas.
• Boil it into a thin Sugar syrup. The amount of Sugar Syrup given in the recipe is good enough to soak the number of Rasagullas in the recipe.
• Cook & Soak Rasagullas along with Sugar Syrup in a wide pan with a lid. 
• Rasgullas need plenty of space in the syrup to expand and maintain the round shape. 
• If the amount of Sugar Syrup is less or there are too many Rasagullas crowding the pot, or if you are using a small bowl to soak the Rasagullas, the Rasagullas may become flat or lose their shape.
• If the Sugar syrup is thick, the Rasagullas may not get well soaked.

*For Cooking Rasagullas:

In a Saucepan/Pot with a tight lid:

• Choose a wide & big Saucepan with a tight lid for cooking Rasagullas and Sugar Syrup.
• There should be enough space for the Rasagullas to bloat up in the Sugar Syrup.  It will double up in size.
• The Pot or Saucepan should have a tight lid to cover and cook the Rasagullas.
• Alternatively, you can pressure/steam cook the Rasagullas, but remember to keep it closed all the time until the Rasagullas are cooked.
• Do not open the lid, until the Rasagullas are well cooked. 
• Opening the lid while cooking may alter the texture of the Rasagullas.
• As soon as the Rasagullas come into contact with air, they tend to become chewy & hard.
• Cover & cook Rasagullas for about 30-35 minutes on a medium flame.
• Through quite a lot of trial & errors, I have perfected the cooking time for Rasagullas.  It may change with the type of flame and stove used.  Adjust accordingly.
• Alternatively drop a Rasagulla into a cup of water, if it sinks then it is perfectly cooked.
• If it is not cooked, cook Rasagullas for few more minutes.
• I would prefer not to do this step as it has made my trials with Rasagullas go chewy and tough.
• Perfect your cooking time with few trials. No choice.
• Once cooked do not open the lid.
• Keep it aside for about 25-30 Minutes to cool down keep the lid intact.
• Keeping the lid covered is the most important step while preparing Rasagullas.
• So make sure that you have a pot with a tight lid for cooking.
• Keep the Rasagullas soaked in Sugar Syrup for at least an hour to get it perfectly infused with sweetness & flavours.
• Cover & store Rasagullas refrigerated.  
• If stored properly stays good for about 3-4 days or up to a week.

In a Pressure Cooker:    

• The Pressure cooker should be wide and big enough that the Rasagullas have enough space to double up while cooking & soaking.
• Ensure that the Rasagullas are not overcrowded and tightly packed inside the pressure cooker.
• Add the rolled Paneer Balls into the Pressure Cooker.
• Pour the Sugar Syrup over it.
• Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and place the Pressure Regulator/Vent Weight over the vent pipe.
• Cook on a high flame for a whistle, lower the flame and cook for another 4-5 whistles or for roughly about 7-8 minutes.
• Do not cook overall at a high flame, the Rasagullas would break & scatter off  in the sugar syrup
• Switch off the flame and allow the Pressure to release.
• Leave the Pressure cooker untouched for at least 30 Minutes to an Hour.
• Rasagullas would be perfectly infused with sweetness & flavours.
• Cover & store Rasagullas refrigerated.