Sunday 31 December 2017

BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO



            
It was a long standing wish to blog about a baked roshogolla / rasgulla, ever since Kolkata started making it. Few of our friends are already back from there, I got my "patali gur".... date palm jaggery for the season, you know I do not allow the men to lament about not being able to have "shitkaleen pithe-puli" anymore, I do them as much as I can. The man used to love, "pithe puli", now losing interest; the son enjoys without knowing what "piths-puli" are! I got my "panchphoron" packets too, I must say the "Bengali Panchphoron" and "Panchphutan" we get here are slightly different combination of spices. We can always prepare it in our kitchen though. 

Kolkata is already making Baked Roshogolla and Baked Bonde for a couple of years now, now I hear some renowned outlets are preparing Baked ChamCham too! I however find the store bought ones too sweet to my taste buds..... I am not a sweet lover by birth as of 'ilish' and 'mutton.' I was not allowed to eat sweets that I loved... the fried ones. Till date Roshogolla rules in my side of the family, the senior's side goes for variety. Our son grew up loving Roshogolla and Bonde, he was this small since when every evening he had to have two roshogolla / rasgulla. Its been quite for sometime that I am trying my hands on roshogolla / rasgulla at home, with reduced amount of sugar. This baked version of Roshogolla was done last week for the first time and it was successful.... why not share it during the New Year celebration! The nation we stay and it's neighbours are mango lovers just like this family.... so my version of baked roshogolla had to be modified further into BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO! 

By the way, what your plans are for the New Year I do not know... if you are planning to eat and merry.... do keep my version of baked roshogolla / rasgulla in your dessert menu! This family is going for a week long vacation on the first day of 2018.... to to to.... a quaint place not too far ....... from the sea to the sea do we tread! I will try to capture some ecstatic moments with the nature and us.... the us moments is a question mark given my mens' severe dislike for it. The blog too needs some rest! Once back, we can go ahead with some "poush shankranti pithepuli" shares .... reliving childhood!

This BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO recipe of mine is done with less sugar given my health condition.... also that we are now used to having less sugary desserts just like the people of the island do! I always feel if you are staying away from home elsewhere, you need to get along with it's food and culture to some extent and be able to call it your second home. Take the example of me, I love eating rice with soya sauce and green chilli, loved that dessert of black glutinous rice served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in the husband's office party. I have not stopped loving 'bhaja bhuji.... bata buti' either, I can instantly say a hi to people with similar food habits given they consider the amount of grey matter in me! 

Both sides of our family are from "opar bangla" with different kind of cooking.... The maa-in-law with a literal high nose would serve a big "aar mach er lyaja" on my plate and at the same time would say amra oshob kochu-ghechu khaina.... That is exactly when I was unable to have a bit of that lucrative piece of "Aar." I used to take a bus way back from the work place  the next day to the parent's home to have a plate of piping hot rice with "kochupatai mora kanchki maacher bora"..... for such secret missions I always lied to the in-laws saying we have a staff meeting after school. Small gestures, few soft words make dumbos like me happy. Our parents indeed fed us everything in turns not going beyond limits! 

Anyway, for this particular Bengali dessert recipe of BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO, I have not followed anyone as such though I know there are as many as the Google search engine can gather, some of my blogger friends too have done it I know! However, the idea of adding fruits to it is drawn from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and the idea of adding cornflour to the malai mix is drawn from the wonder woman, the Late Tarla Dalal. 

Why Mango of all fruits?... Well, the people of this island do not eat roshogolla but I wished for a roshogolla share today... Mango is always there at home, we love it and the people of the island too... let us sew them together! Why pomegranate?.... I firmly believe if you can prepare those 2-tier... 3-tier cakes, roshogolla / rasgulla is not a big deal either! Come let us do it following few stepwise pictures I could manage.... 

Roughly Inspired by....
Master Chefs Sanjeev Kapoor & the Late Tarla Dalal


INGREDIENTS : [for the rasgulla]

Milk : 1lt
Semolina : 1/3tsp
Lemon Juice : 1/4small cup
Sugar : 1small cup 
Water : 2 coffee mug
A soft cotton white piece of cloth
A strainer and a wide mouthed bowl
3-4bIce Cubes to stop the paneer get cooked further

INGREDIENTS : [for the milk & mango malai]

Evaporated Creamer : 250-300 ml
Mango Extract : One Coffee mug
Sugar : 2-3 tbsp
Corn Flour : 1tbsp
Kewra Essence : 2-3 drops
Yellow Edible Colour : Few Drops [Optional]

FINAL ASSORTMENT : [for the BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO]

The Roshogollas.... We get 7-8 medium sized from a litre of milk
The Milk & Mango Malai
An aluminium foil bowl or any bake proof bowl

METHOD :


For the roshogolla, we will take 1litre of milk in a vessel and let boil. Once it comes to boil, we will add the lemon juice. As the milk curdles, switch off gas immediately. Cover and let cool.

Place the clean piece of cloth on top of a strainer and place it on the bowl. Pass the paneer through it. The whey will be deposited in the bowl which you can use in curries, making dough or preparing another batch of paneer as I have seen my mother doing.

Tie the piece of cloth tight to the kitchen tap. Let all the excess water drain. I will suggest 5-6 hours time for it! Best if you prepare the chana at night and hang overnight! Once done, take down and untie the piece of cloth, the paneer looks like below.

Take it in a plate and mash... keep kneading for 10-12 minutes, add the semolina and knead for another 10 minutes. We are ready to prepare the balls which Cristine does for me.


We are simultaneously boiling the small cup of sugar and water alongside. The ratio of sugar and water is different here, why should we use more sugar if we are baking it with malai.

Once the sugar syrup has boiled for 5-6 minutes, gently drop the chana balls to it. Cover immediately. Let boil at medium heat for about 20 minutes before you uncover. They are done by now.

Let us prepare the milk & mango malai! Mix together the mango extract & 1 tbsp sugar, cook for few minutes stirring continuously, take down!

Take 11/2 coffee mug of  evaporated creamer in a deep bottomed vessel and bring to boil. Take out some, dissolve the corn flour & sugar in it, add!

Let it boil for 10-12 minutes, add the sugar and condensed milk now. Stir in the cooked mango extract & keep beating with a beater! Take down after 5-6 minutes!

Take a bake proof bowl and arrange the rasgullas and mango pieces on it. Pour the milk & mango malai atop. It is now ready to be baked.

Preheat the oven to 180*C. Place the bowl at the centre! Bake at 180*C for 30-35 minutes or till it is brown atop and we are done. 

Actually, I did them in my mini-toaster oven, you have to settle your own time!





2 comments :

  1. Honestly Soma, I didn't know there's a baked version of roshogolla. I love it. This is by far, one of my fav, though moderately. Mango does elevate it further.

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