ROSHOMALAI

ROSHOMALAI is what we call it in Bengal; a major part of India and it's neighbour call it Rasmalai. Roshomalai / Rasmalai is Roshogolla / Rasgulla with thickened milk, garnished with dry fruits, served chilled. It is a popular dessert among the Bengalis, you have to have a sweet tooth to love it. My men have that, pretty sweet tooth. Like a typical Bengali home, the sweets I prepare uses a lot of sugar, I have the plans to lessen the amount of sugar. 

The Roshomalai you see here was prepared yesterday for my visiting friends, of course for my men too. They are North Indians and found it little sweeter than what they are used to having. Paying due respect to their wishes, I will make some changes in the measurement of sugar. We grow better learning from others..... thats what I believe in.

 I prepare roshogolla sweet at home, although rare. You will find rose flavoured rasgullas prepared by me in one of my earlier post. I do everything according to the need of the hour. There is no hard and fast rules in my life. I take things as it comes. Preparing Roshomalai, the Bengali style from the scratch was on my mind for a long time.... I think I did a decent job.

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 1 litre [I used Meiji Fresh Milk]

Lemon Juice : 4-5 tbsp

Milk Powder : 4 tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 small tea cup
Green Cardamom : 3-4
Pistachios : 4-5 crushed

METHOD :

Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Put on gas and bring the milk to boil. Mix the lemon juice with 2 tbsp of water and add to the boiling milk. Once the milk curdles, switch off the gas stove, add 3-4 ice cubes to prevent further cooking. Pour the paneer with whey keeping a porous, clean, white cloth on the strainer. Wash the fresh paneer, tie the cloth on the kitchen tap, let the excess water drain away. You can also keep pressed the paneer with an heavy object.

Mix together 2 coffee mugs of warm water and the milk powder, beat well and put for boil.

After the milk has boiled for 6-7 minutes, add the sugar, green cardamoms, boil for another 5-8 minutes. Now switch off the gas stove.

Take the fresh paneer on a plate, Knead until smooth, tear portions to make flat-shaped paneer discs.

Boil the sugar and 5-6 coffee mugs of water at medium to high heat. Use less sugar, the thickened milk has good amount of sugar.

Once the water starts boiling, add the uncooked paneer discs. Cover with a lid. Cook them at medium heat for 25 minutes. Switch off and let cool.

Take out the cooked paneer discs from the vessel, squeeze out the excess sugar syrup and arrange on a plate. Warm the thickened milk and pour on the cooked paneer discs. Garnish with crushed pistachios.

Cool and refrigerate, enjoy them chilled.