Rasmalai
This one is for my husband who happens to have a big sweet tooth and a birthday tomorrow! When looking for a hearty but non ghee consuming Indian sweet recipe, I stumbled upon this easy cheesy recipe. Instead of going through the endless process of curdling milk to make paneer, then straining it multiple times and fervently hoping that it would turn in to the exact firm consistency, this one is a sure fire way to make sure your Rasmalai will turn out good. All it takes is 10 minutes of prep time and about 45 minutes of oven time. Here’s the recipe to make this delectable sweet in a jiffy!
Ingredients:
Serves 6-8
Ricotta cheese 1 large tub – 30 oz 850 g( Whole milk tastes better than the part skim I used of course!)
Half and half – 1 qt
Sliced almonds 2 tbsp
Saffron strands 8-10
Cardamom powder ½ tsp
Sugar 3-4 tbsp
Method:
In a cheese cloth, roll the Ricotta cheese and strain away any excess water. You may choose to leave the cheese in for about an hour or so, if you absolutely want all the water out. Mix in about 2 tbsp of sugar into the cheese and blend it well. Then pre heat the oven to 350 deg for about 10 minutes. Place the cheese in an aluminum tray for about 30-40 mins. Check if a tooth pick comes out clean to make sure the cheese is done. You can spoon the cheese into a muffin tray as well if you want a round shape to the Rasmalai. Once done, let the cheese cool and using a cutter, make it into small pieces.
In a small pan, bring 1 qt half and half to boil. Add the remaining sugar, saffron strands and cardamom powder. Then add the sliced almonds. Pour this over the cooled cheese. Refrigerate and serve chilled!
Swat's Cooking 