Rasgulla or 'Rassogulla' is a sweet,which tempts people of all ages.It brings out a smile on every soul.Rasgula recipe is a small spongy ball of happiness.No one can resist the rasgullas,however small or big. You will rarely find someone who doesn't like them.Truly,Indian sweets are as diverse as the communities that reside here.
Rasgulla ingredients are fairly simple too.Sugar syrup and instant cottage cheese or chhena/paneer.Simple sweet yet with an amazing taste.You can make rasgulla recipe in pressure cooker or in a heavy bottom pan.If you want to use natural sugar in your sweet,try the palm jaggery recipe.Nolen gurer rassgulla has an earthy taste to it.
History of Rassogulla:
There is always an argument between people of eastern states of Orissa and Bengal, on who takes credit for this sweet.Although now its kind of settled it was in Bengal.However, for a sweet like that who won't want to take the credit?
One must also mention the Oriya town Pahala,which lies on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar.
Pahala rasgulla is a must have in Odisha.
This place employs many villagers to make this sweet in hundreds.You can see 100s of shops just making Rassagulla along both the sides of the roads and yes you cannot stop at just one.Its a heaven for 'Rasagulla' lovers.
Why diabetics and calorie conscious love Rassogulla?
I must say inventor did a big favor to all the people who love sweets and yet want to control their calories.I have seen diabetics squeeze the maximum syrup.They get the same contentment of having sweets,as much as normal fit foodies.My Grandpa would do it and I picked up this habit to eliminate extra sugar syrup.Even now I do it to honor his memory.
How to make Rasgulla ?
Step by step pictures of the Rasagulla
1. Make fresh paneer by adding lemon juice/vinegar in fresh milk.
2. Drain the excess water from the cheese.
3. Take the cheese out from the cheese cloth
4. Start kneading/mashing the cheese
5. Continue kneading until soft and it starts coming together
6. Divide intp small portions and mash them separately
7. Shape them into smooth round balls
8. Meanwhile, heat sugar syrup in a pot, add the cheeseballs, cover and cook for 10 minutes
Rassogulla is a no-one-can-eat-just-one sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ liter full fat milk
- 2 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice
- 400 gms(2 cups) sugar
Instructions
- Boil the milk and keep this aside for 5 minutes, so that it cools a little.
- Mix 2 tbsp. of lemon juice/vinegar with 2 tbsp. water and slowly add to the milk as it starts to coagulate. Add more lemon juice to the milk until the cheese and the water is clearly separated.
- Strain coagulated milk in a muslin cloth. Drain it in a utensil beneath the sieve. This will separate chhena or cottage cheese.
- Pour a cup of cold water on the cheese to remove any bitterness residue of lemon.
- Allow the excess water to drain from the the cheese,remove the cheese from the cloth.
- Mash for 10-15 minutes till you can get a smooth texture.
- Divide it into small parts and roll it into small 12 balls of same size.
- Add 3-4 cups of water to sugar and let it boil in a pot
- Add 2 tbsp milk to the syrup to remove any impurity of sugar(if impurity exists)
- When the syrup is boiling, add the balls one by one ,cover & cook it on medium flame for 4-5 minutes .
- Open the lid and just move the cheese balls in the center of liquid.
- Keep the lid closed and let it cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and do not lift the lid for atleast further 10-15 minutes
- Transfer the contents to a serving bowl.
- Let it cool further in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5-6 hours.
Notes
Note: Rassogulla balls must be very smooth otherwise they will disintegrate when put in sugar syrup.The balls should be of a small size as they puff up to double the size when boiled in sugar syrup.
Do not open the lid more than once and let it remain covered also after its cooked else the cheese balls will shrink.
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