If you are looking for a perfect homemade Rasgulla recipe that makes light, spongy and juicy rasgullas/rosogulla this is it! Rasgulla is one of those few Indian Sweets that requires a little precision. I have covered plenty of easy tips and tricks that will assure you get the most perfect soft and light rasgullas every time.
My Gulab Jamun Recipe is another classic that's loved by everyone who trys it! Check how beautiful, juicy, round and crispy these Jalebis turned out! You will love these Indian Desserts too!
What is Rasgulla?
It is an Indian Dessert made by curdling milk and then separating whey out of chhena. We then knead the chenna, make balls out out it and cook them in sugar syrup. Flavor them with your favorite ingredients like rose and/or cardamom. Add shaved nuts of choice like pistachios and almonds!
How to make soft and spongy Bengali Rasgulla?
Making perfect rasgullas isn't about luck. You need to understand three simple things. These are structural properties of milk, art of kneading and setting the right cooking temperature.
When these things are kept in mind, congrats you have nailed the art of making perfect rasgullas! Ignore these basics and your desserts can shatter into a million pieces in the boiling pot!
Here are a few shortcuts to remember:
- Buffalo's Milk = Dense Rasgullas
- Too dry Chenna = Rubbery Rasgullas
- Too wet Chenna = Disintegrated Rasgullas (I call it bombblast in the pot!)
- Over kneaded Chenna = Fat Separation (Rasgullas might collapse in the pot)
- Open the lid too frequently = Deflated/ dense rasgullas
These eye openers are not presented to scare you I promise. But if you will keep these little thing in mind, nothing can stop you from making soft, light weighted, juicy and spongy rasgullas.
If you know what not to do, it is battle half won!!!
Rasgulla Ingredients:
Full measurements and instructions on how to make the dessert are mentioned below in the recipe card. Here is an overview of ingredients you will require to put this sweet together.
- Milk: Always opt for full fat cow's milk, avoid low fat and skimmed milk. unpasteurized and non-homogenized milk is the best choice here.
- Lemon Juice/ Vinegar: To curdle milk. I like to dilute these with water so that soft milk curds are formed.
- Sugar: To sweeten the dessert. I typically use less sugar than most recipes out there. If you wish you can use half cup more easily.
- Flavorings: You can flavor them as you wish. I have used rose water and pistachios here.
How to make Rasgulla:
- Curdle the milk:
In a heavy bottomed pan/pot bring milk to a rolling boil and turn the heat off. Don't quickly add acid (lemon juice) to extremely hot milk. Wait for about 2 minutes and add lemon juice slowly. About half tablespoon at a time.
Stop adding any more lemon juice the second you see milk has curdled. Adding more than required acid can harden and dry the chenna out.
- Drain and Hang the Chhena:
Line a colander with cheese cloth and drain the whey in your sink. Or you can collect it to chapati knead dough with it later. Collect the edges of cheesecloth and lift it. Twist and tiw the cloth and hang it for 30-45 minutes.
Perfect Texture: The chenna is ready for kneading when it isn't to moist. It should be crumbly, slightly moist and soft to touch. If it has a paste like smear on your finger, it is not ready. But you def. don't want it to get too dry.
- Knead the Dough:
Take the chenna out on a large plate and start kneading it with the heel of your palm. Chenna will appear crumbly at first. But as you go on kneading it for 3-4 minutes it will get smooth and will start to come together into a ball of dough. Take care not to over knead it or it will separate its fat. We don't want that.
- Shape into Balls:
Divide the dough into equal portions. Just be mindful that these balls double in size after boiling. So roll the balls in medium size. I usually do 12 from four cups of milk. Make sure that the dough balls are crack free. As even the small cracks can expand in the boiling water and burst.
- Cook the Balls: In a deep pan heat 5-6 cups of water along with sugar and let the sugar dissolve completely. Mix the sugar in occasionally to help it dissolve. Let this syrup come to a rolling boil on high heat. Then slowly slip all the balls one by one in it. Close the lid and ccok them on high heat for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium high and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Allow to Cool: After 15 minutes have passed, remove the pot from heat and with lid closed allow them to cool down in the same water. This step will help them retain their fluffiness and shape.
Science behind what makes or breaks this dessert!
This dessert solely relies on one thing. Cassein protein. This protein clumps together holding fat and moisture when we curdle the milk. We need to balance both moisture and fat in rasgullas throughout.
If the chenna is too dry, meaning we curdled the milk while it was too hot or added too much acid, the balls might turn rubbery.
If chenna is too wet, balls can explode in water.
Cow's milk will make sure the fat content and protien structure of milk is perfect to make this dessert!
Secrets to making perfect Rasgullas:
This tips will make sure your dessert turns amazing even when you are a beginner in cooking or tryi8ng this for the first time!
- Always use full fat Cow's milk. Curdle the milk slowly. Wait for two minutes after the milk has boiled before adding lemon juice.
- Add some cold water or ice cubes right after curdling to stop the milk from cooking further.
- How moist should Chenna be? Hang chenna only till it turns a little firm and crumbly. It must still retain some moisture but shouldn't turn into a paste too easily if you rub it between your thumb and index finger.
- How long to knead chenna? Don't over knead the dough. We don't want the fat to be separated. I only do it for around 3 minutes and its done.
- Always add plenty of water in the pot. The more space that balls get to float and swim in the syrup, the better they cook and get that signature round shape.
- For Soft Rasgullas: Always add just a bit of cornstarch to your chenna while kneading. This will make super soft rasgullas.
- Don't be tempted to open the lid again and again when the chenna dough balls are cooking.
How to Serve and Store:
Serve them cold in their syrup topped with slivered pistachios or nuts of your liking and a few rose petals. Store them in refrigerator covered tightly for 3-4 days.
If you liked this recipe, please give it a star review! Also, tell me in the comments below, how did it turn out for you! How did your family or guests like it?
How did you personalize it? And don’t forget to share your wonderful creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Let's be friends on Pinterest and Facebook too!
Recipe
Rasgulla Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Deep Pot (to cook the dough balls)
- 1 Cheese Cloth (to strain the chenna)
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Full Fat Milk
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice/ Vinegar (diluted with 2 tablespoons of water)
- 500 ml Ice Water (or ice cubes)
- teaspoon Cornstarch
- 6 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Rose Water
- Few Slivered Pistachios
Instructions
Make Chenna:
- In a heavy bottomed pot or pan, bring milk to a boil. Stir occasionally to make sure the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of pan. Turn the gas off when milk comes to one rolling boil.4 Cups Full Fat Milk
- Wait for 2 minutes and then slowly add diluted lemon juice in 2-3 batches and stir. You will notice milk has started curdling. Allow the whey to separate completely. Whey will turn yellowish-green in color. After a minute add cold water/ice cubes to stop curds from cooking further.500 ml Ice Water, 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice/ Vinegar
- Place cheese cloth in a colander and drain whey from chenna. Now grab the edges of cheese cloth and tie it. Drain as much as excess water as you can out of it and hang on a tap for around 30 minutes.
Kneading and Rolling the Chenna:
- When the chenna becomes crumbly, but its still little moist, it is ready to be kneaded. Take it out on a large plate and add cornstarch to it.teaspoon Cornstarch
- Knead it with the heel of your palm for about 3 minutes or until it gets all smooth and isn't grainy any longer. Make sure the fat doesn't separate out of it.
Cooking Rasgullas:
- Bring water and sugar to a rolling boil in a deep pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar. When the water is boiling carefully slip chenna balls in the water and cover the pot. Allow them to boil on medium-high for 5 minutes. Now open the lid and stir once with a skewer without touching the balls.6 Cups Water, 1 Cup Sugar
- Make sure there is ample of space in the pot for the chenna balls to roll freely without touching each other. Sometimes I cook them in two batches to make sure they don't touch each other as they boil vigorously in water.
- After 5 minutes, turn the heat to medium, but make sure water is boiling at all the times. This reduced heat will allow the chenna balls to cook from the inside. Cook for another 10 minutes and remove the pot from heat.
- Without opening the lid, allow the water to come to room temperature. That way rasgullas will hold their shape beautifully. The balls will have doubled in size and will sink to the bottom of pot.
- If you'd like your rasgullas on the sweeter side, add upto 1 more cup of sugar and utilize 1 cup of water in which you boiled chenna balls. Mix that water with sugar in a medium pot and bring it to a boil. Stir sugar completely in it, turn it off and allow to cool.
- Add cooked rasgullas in this cooled syrup and stir using the handle of pan. Add rose water in too. Garnish with slivered pistachios and serve chilled.½ teaspoon Rose Water, Few Slivered Pistachios
Leave a Reply