Chocolatey Rasgullas

Ingredients for Rasgullas:

1 litre cream removed cow milk
1-2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Making of Paneer (Chenna):

Bring the milk to boil, add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice gradually so that the milk mass and whey separate completely. Add 10-15 ice cubes. Rest for a minute.

Strain in a muslin cloth. Wash thoroughly with fresh water to remove the lemony sourness. Drain the water by squeezing. Knot the muslin cloth and hang it to get rid for any excess whey/liquid.

After about 10-15 minutes, remove. The chenna you get will be crumbly like in the picture below.  If it is too wet, it is not drained well and will be impossible to knead. So, make sure chenna is crumbly and slightly dry and yet a little moist.

Take pinches off the dough and make small balls, while making balls stuff some chocochips inside if you love chocolates to get a nice chocolaty taste. Remember, they are going to double up on boiling so size them accordingly.

For the Sugar Syrup to boil Rasgullas

1 cup Sugar
5 cups Water
1/2 tsp fine cardamom (Elaichi) powder
1/4 cup Sugar (I keep the sugar very low. Please increase the sugar to 1/2  or 3/4 cup here to get sweeter rasgullas)
1/2 cup Water
8-10 saffron strands (optional- I haven’t used here)
1-2 Tsp rosewater/gulabjal (optional- I haven’t used here)

While you make the paneer balls, bring to boil 5 cups of water with a cup of sugar (light sugar syrup). Add half a tsp fine cardamom powder. Just as the syrup comes to a rolling boil, add in the rasgulla balls. Boil covered for 12- 15 minutes on medium flame.

I make my rasgullas in two batches so that the rasgullas get enough space in the water to expand and also keep their round shape. If the syrup is less or there are too many gullas in the liquid, they will either become flat or lose their shape.
You may uncover to check every 5 minutes. 

To check if the rasgullas are cooked, drop one in plain drinking water. If it sinks, it is done. If it floats, boil for a couple of minutes and check again. Switch off the gas.

Transfer gently to a big bowl full of clean drinking water. There should be enough water for the paneer balls else they might lose their shape.dd one fourth cup sugar and half a cup of water to the same light sugar syrup in which the rasgullas were boiled  and give it a boil so that the sugar melts. Add in the saffron strands (if using) when the syrup becomes warm, do not add while it is hot. Let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature ( takes about 30 minutes)
Remove the rasgullas from the plain water, squeeze gently and drop into the sugar syrup.
Chill for three hours. You may top with some finely slivered pistachios and almonds.
Enjoy!