Soft Halwai Style Rasmalai Recipe
Rasmalai is a Bengali sweet of flattened chhana discs soaked in chilled, thickened milk scented with cardamom and saffron. This recipe is written in English and Hindi, and it works on a stove, in a pressure cooker, or from ready made rasgulla when there is no time to curdle milk.
Rasmalai goes wrong in small ways, in a crumbly chhana, a thick syrup, or a rabri poured on too hot. The details that prevent each of these come before the recipe, so they are read before the milk goes on the stove.
What Decides a Soft Rasmalai
Milk choice
Use full fat cow’s milk for the chhana, because buffalo milk carries more fat and tends to give greasy, dense discs. Buffalo milk suits the rabri, where its richness gives the thickened milk body.
Shop milk
Avoid UHT or long life milk, which breaks into fine, chalky grains instead of a kneadable curd. Cheesemakers sometimes add a little calcium chloride to shop milk that sets poorly, following the dose printed on the pack.
Curdling
Packet milk in India is usually pasteurised and homogenised, and it curdles best when the lemon juice goes in just after the boil, with ice cold water added once it splits to stop the cooking. Fresh milk from a dairy is better rested for 5 to 10 minutes off the heat, down to roughly 75 to 80 degrees Celsius, before the acid goes in.
Acid and whey
Dilute the lemon juice with an equal amount of lukewarm water and stir in one direction, because neat acid shocks the curd into tight, uneven lumps. Traditional sweet shops often curdle with sour whey saved from the last batch, which leaves no lemon taste, and a few spoonfuls of curd do a similar job at home.
Draining
Rinse the curd under cold running water to wash out the acid, then hang it until it is moist but no longer dripping. Judge it by texture and not by the clock, since packet milk can take far longer to drain than fresh dairy milk.
Kneading
Knead with the heel of your palm for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the grains melt into a smooth paste. Stop the moment your palms turn greasy, because that is butterfat separating, and greasy chhana makes dense discs that refuse the syrup.
Syrup and shape
Shape the discs about 1 cm thick, because they swell to nearly double in the syrup. The syrup itself should be thin, about 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, and boiling hard when the discs go in.
Lid and rabri
Keep the lid on for the 9 to 10 minute boil and for a 20 minute rest off the heat afterwards, because a sudden fall in temperature makes the discs shrink or flatten. A rabri reduced by only 35 to 40 percent stays fluid enough to enter the pores of the discs, while a thick one stays outside.
Where Rasmalai Comes From
Rasmalai belongs to the Bengali tradition of chhana sweets, and two Bengali houses claim it. The Das family of Kolkata says Krishna Chandra Das adapted the rasgulla of his father Nobin Chandra Das into rasmalai in the early 1930s, and the family points to an advertisement from 1932.
The Sen brothers of Comilla, now in Bangladesh, say their Matri Bhandar shop was making roshomalai first, and Comilla’s version has been the subject of a geographical indication claim in Bangladesh. Neither claim has been independently verified, so the sweet is best described as Bengali in origin.
Bengali sweet shops call it rosomalai and also make a close relative called malai chop, where flattened chhana is served in thickened milk. Across North India it is a regular at weddings and festivals under the name ras malai, usually served chilled in a shallow bowl.
Rasmalai Recipe
Ingredients
For the chhana (छैना)
- 1000 ml full fat cow’s milk (गाय का दूध)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, mixed with 2 tbsp lukewarm water, plus a little more if needed (नींबू का रस)
- 500 ml ice cold water or a handful of ice cubes (बर्फ का ठंडा पानी)
- 0.5 tsp cornflour or fine semolina (कॉर्नफ्लोर)
For the poaching syrup (चाशनी)
- 1000 ml water (पानी)
- 200 g sugar (चीनी)
- 2 green cardamom, crushed (इलायची)
For the rabri (रबड़ी)
- 750 ml full fat milk (दूध)
- 50 g sugar (चीनी)
- 12 saffron strands, crushed with a pinch of sugar and steeped in 1 tbsp warm water (केसर)
- 0.5 tsp cardamom powder (इलायची पाउडर)
- 2 tbsp milk powder (मिल्क पाउडर)
- 1 tsp kewra water (केवड़ा जल)
- 1 tbsp chopped pistachios (पिस्ता)
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds (बादाम)
Method
- Curdle the milkBring the milk to a full boil, then add the diluted lemon juice a spoon at a time while stirring gently in one direction. For fresh dairy milk, rest it 5 to 10 minutes off the heat first, and if the milk does not split, return it to a low flame until it does.
- Stop the cookingAs soon as the whey turns clear and pale green, pour in the ice cold water or add a handful of ice cubes and leave it for 2 minutes. This halts the cooking and keeps the curd soft.
- Drain and rinsePour the curd into a muslin cloth set over a colander, rinse it under cold running water until the lemon smell is gone, and squeeze out the water. Hang the bundle until it is moist but no longer dripping, which takes 30 to 60 minutes for fresh milk and longer for packet milk.
- Check the texturePress a pinch of chhana flat on the counter and smear it with your finger. It should look grainy and hold together without sticking, and sticky chhana needs more hanging while crumbly chhana can be kneaded with a wet hand.
- Knead the chhanaTransfer the chhana to a flat plate, add the cornflour, and knead with the heel of your palm for 3 to 5 minutes until it turns smooth and grain free. Stop at the first sign of grease on your palms.
- Shape the discsDivide the dough into 12 equal balls and press each into a disc about 1 cm thick, smoothing any cracked edges with your fingertips. Cover the discs with a damp cloth so the surface does not dry.
- Boil the syrupBring the water, sugar, and crushed cardamom to a hard rolling boil in a wide pot with a lid. Keep a kettle of hot water ready beside the stove.
- Poach the discsSlide the discs in while the syrup is bubbling hard, cover the pot at once, and cook on medium high heat for 9 to 10 minutes. Add a splash of boiling water down the side of the pot if the syrup begins to thicken, since thick syrup pulls moisture out of the discs and shrinks them.
- Rest and testTake the pot off the heat and keep the lid on for 20 minutes so the discs cool slowly and do not flatten. A cooked disc sinks when dropped into a glass of plain water, while a raw centre makes it float, in which case boil it for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make the rabriBoil the milk in a wide heavy pan on medium heat, pushing the cream that rises on top to the side, until it reduces by 35 to 40 percent, which takes 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the sugar and milk powder, and keep the rabri fluid rather than thick.
- Flavour the rabriStir in the cardamom powder and the steeped saffron for the last 5 minutes of simmering so the aroma stays fresh. Let the rabri cool until it is warm and no longer boiling hot.
- Squeeze and soakLift each disc out of the syrup, let it cool for a minute, and press it gently between your palms to remove the syrup. Lower the discs into the warm rabri and let them soak.
- Chill and garnishAdd the kewra water and nuts, let the rasmalai cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The flavours settle best after a night in the fridge.
Pressure Cooker and Shortcut Versions
Pressure cooker poaching
Bring the syrup to a boil in a pressure cooker, add the discs, close the lid, and cook for one whistle on medium heat. Let the pressure release on its own before opening, then continue from the rabri step.
Milk powder discs
Mix 1 cup of milk powder, 1 tablespoon of plain flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of ghee, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk into a soft dough. Rest the dough for 10 minutes, then shape and poach the discs exactly as above.
Store bought paneer or ricotta
Grate 200 g of soft paneer or drain ricotta well, add half a teaspoon of cornflour, and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth. Fresh chhana still gives the softest result, so shape these discs a little thinner.
Condensed milk rabri
Reduce the milk as usual, then stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of condensed milk in place of the sugar and milk powder. Taste before adding more, since condensed milk varies in sweetness.
Ready made rasgulla version
Drain 12 ready made rasgullas and press each gently between your palms to remove the syrup, because discs that still hold syrup will not soak up the milk. Press lightly, since hard pressing breaks them.
Boil 500 ml of milk with 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk powder, half a teaspoon of cardamom powder, and a few saffron strands for 5 minutes. Add the rasgullas, simmer for one minute only, then cool and chill for 4 hours.
हिंदी में रसमलाई रेसिपी
घर पर रसमलाई कैसे बनाएं, यह सीखना आसान है, बस छैना नरम बनना चाहिए और चाशनी तेज़ उबलती होनी चाहिए। नीचे सामग्री और विधि हिंदी में दी गई है।
सामग्री (12 पीस)
छैना के लिए
- 1 लीटर फुल क्रीम गाय का दूध
- 2 बड़े चम्मच नींबू का रस, 2 बड़े चम्मच गुनगुने पानी में मिला हुआ
- 500 मिली बर्फ का ठंडा पानी
- आधा छोटा चम्मच कॉर्नफ्लोर
चाशनी के लिए
- 1 लीटर पानी
- 200 ग्राम चीनी
- 2 हरी इलायची, कुटी हुई
रबड़ी के लिए
- 750 मिली फुल क्रीम दूध
- 50 ग्राम चीनी
- 12 केसर के धागे, चुटकी भर चीनी के साथ कुचलकर 1 बड़े चम्मच गुनगुने पानी में भिगोए हुए
- आधा छोटा चम्मच इलायची पाउडर
- 2 बड़े चम्मच मिल्क पाउडर
- 1 छोटा चम्मच केवड़ा जल
- 1 बड़ा चम्मच कटे हुए पिस्ते
- 1 बड़ा चम्मच बादाम की कतरन
विधि
- दूध को उबालकर नींबू का रस बराबर गुनगुने पानी में मिलाकर धीरे धीरे डालें। पैकेट का दूध हो तो उबाल के तुरंत बाद डालें, और ताज़े दूध में 5 से 10 मिनट रुककर डालें।
- जब पानी साफ और हल्का हरा हो जाए तो बर्फ का ठंडा पानी या बर्फ के टुकड़े डालें। इससे छैना नरम रहता है।
- छैना को मलमल के कपड़े में छानकर ठंडे पानी से धोएँ और निचोड़ लें। फिर 30 से 60 मिनट लटकाएँ, जब तक वह नम रहे पर टपके नहीं।
- छैना को प्लेट में कॉर्नफ्लोर के साथ हथेली के निचले हिस्से से 3 से 5 मिनट तक मसलें। हाथ में चिकनाई दिखते ही रुक जाएँ।
- 12 बराबर गोले बनाकर लगभग 1 सेमी मोटी टिक्की बना लें। टिक्कियों को गीले कपड़े से ढककर रखें।
- चौड़े बर्तन में पानी, चीनी और इलायची डालकर तेज़ उबाल लें। उबलती चाशनी में टिक्कियाँ डालकर तुरंत ढक दें और 9 से 10 मिनट पकाएँ।
- गैस बंद करके ढक्कन बंद रखें और 20 मिनट तक न खोलें। इससे टिक्कियाँ पिचकती नहीं हैं।
- दूध को चौड़ी कड़ाही में 20 से 25 मिनट तक उबालकर लगभग 35 से 40 प्रतिशत कम कर लें। मलाई को किनारे करते रहें, फिर चीनी, मिल्क पाउडर, इलायची और केसर डालें।
- टिक्कियों को हथेलियों के बीच हल्का दबाकर चाशनी निकालें और गुनगुनी रबड़ी में डालें। केवड़ा जल और मेवे डालकर कम से कम 4 घंटे, बेहतर हो तो रात भर फ्रिज में रखें।
हलवाई जैसी रसमलाई के टिप्स
Bazaar jaisi rasmalai ke liye ye paanch baatein yaad rakhein
- छैना के लिए गाय का दूध लें, भैंस का दूध रबड़ी के लिए ठीक रहता है।
- छैना को ज़्यादा न मसलें, हाथ में चिकनाई आए तो टिक्कियाँ सख्त बनेंगी।
- चाशनी पतली रखें, लगभग 1 हिस्सा चीनी और 4 हिस्से पानी।
- टिक्कियाँ डालते समय चाशनी तेज़ उबल रही हो, और बाद में 20 मिनट ढक्कन बंद रखें।
- रबड़ी बहुत गाढ़ी न करें, वरना टिक्कियाँ दूध सोख नहीं पाएँगी।
Rasmalai Problems and Fixes
Hard or rubbery discs
Hard discs come from chhana curdled with too much acid or heat, from over kneading, from buffalo milk, or from syrup that stopped boiling. Use cow’s milk, add the lemon juice only until the whey clears, knead only until smooth, and keep the syrup bubbling hard.
Greasy chhana
Greasy palms mean the butterfat has separated from the curd, usually from kneading too long or too hard. Chhana in that state gives dense discs that reject the syrup, so stop kneading as soon as the grains melt.
Crumbly chhana
Crumbly chhana is usually over drained and too dry to bind. Knead it with a wet hand or a few drops of whey until the grains disappear.
Discs breaking or dissolving in the syrup
Discs dissolve in boiling syrup when the chhana held too much whey or was not kneaded smooth. Hang it longer, knead until smooth, and drop the discs only into syrup that is already bubbling hard.
Rescuing broken discs
Broken pieces need not be wasted, since the curd can be drained and pressed into chhana poda or cooked down into a kalakand style sweet. Press out the water first so the curd sets firmly.
Flat or shrunken discs
Discs flatten or shrink when the syrup thickens, when the temperature drops suddenly, or when the lid is lifted too early. Keep a little boiling water ready to thin the syrup, and leave the lid on for the full 20 minute rest.
Discs that do not soak the milk
Discs stay hard when the syrup was not boiling as they went in, because they never puffed or opened their pores. They also refuse the milk if the syrup is not pressed out or if the rabri is too thick, so squeeze them gently and keep the rabri fluid and warm.
Curdled or grainy rabri
Rabri turns grainy when the milk scorches or when acid from the chhana carries into it. Reduce the milk in a wide heavy pan on medium heat, and wash the curd well under cold water before shaping.
Rabri too thick
Rabri thickens a good deal in the fridge. Stir in a few tablespoons of cold milk before serving instead of water, so the flavour stays rich.
Serving and Occasions
Serve rasmalai chilled in a shallow bowl, two pieces to a portion, with a spoonful of rabri and a few pistachio slivers on top. Pour the rabri around the discs rather than over them so the saffron colour stays visible.
Rasmalai turns up at Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Eid, and weddings across India, and in Bengal it also belongs to Durga Puja and Bijoya. For more festive sweets and snacks, see these easy Diwali snacks and sweets recipes.
Rose water can replace saffron for a delicate pink flavour, though the milk will stay pale instead of turning golden. The same saffron milk also soaks sponge in rasmalai cake and rasmalai tres leches, using the cooled rabri without the discs.
Rasmalai, Rasgulla, Chum Chum and Rasabali
| Sweet | Made from | Shape | Served in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmalai | Chhana | Flattened disc | Chilled thickened sweet milk |
| Rasgulla | Chhana | Round ball | Light sugar syrup |
| Chum chum | Chhana | Oval | Sugar syrup |
| Rasabali | Chhana | Flattened and deep fried | Thickened sweet milk |
Chum chum is the oval cousin of rasgulla and is cooked in much the same way. The cham cham sweet recipe shows the shaping step by step.
Rasmalai FAQ
What is the difference between rasmalai and rasgulla?
Rasgulla is a round chhana ball served in light sugar syrup, while rasmalai discs are flattened and soaked in thickened sweet milk with cardamom and saffron. Both begin with the same fresh chhana.
Which milk is best for rasmalai?
Full fat cow’s milk gives the softest chhana, and buffalo milk is better kept for the rabri because its extra fat can make the discs greasy and dense. Avoid UHT or long life milk, which breaks into fine chalky grains instead of a smooth curd.
Can I use store bought paneer or ricotta for rasmalai?
Yes, drain it well, grate it, add half a teaspoon of cornflour, and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth. Fresh chhana still gives the softest result, so shape these discs a little thinner.
Can I make rasmalai with ready made rasgulla?
Yes, press the syrup out of the rasgullas gently and simmer them for one minute in sweetened, flavoured milk. The full method is in the shortcut section above.
Can I make rasmalai with milk powder?
Yes, a dough of milk powder, plain flour, baking powder, ghee, and a little milk can be shaped and poached like fresh chhana. The method is given in the shortcut section above.
How long should chhana hang to drain?
Hang it until it is moist but no longer dripping, which takes 30 to 60 minutes for fresh dairy milk and can take a few hours for packet milk. Go by the texture and not the clock.
What should drained chhana feel like?
A pinch smeared flat on the counter should look grainy and hold together without sticking. Sticky chhana needs more hanging, and crumbly chhana can be kneaded with a wet hand.
How long should I knead chhana?
Knead for 3 to 5 minutes, only until the chhana turns smooth and grain free. Stop as soon as your palms feel greasy.
Why did my rasmalai turn hard?
Hard rasmalai comes from chhana curdled with too much acid or heat, from over kneading, or from syrup that stopped boiling. Using cow’s milk and keeping the syrup at a hard boil prevents most of these.
Why did the discs break in the syrup?
Too much whey in the chhana, or too little kneading, makes the discs fall apart. Hang the chhana longer, knead until smooth, and add the discs only to bubbling syrup.
Can I make rasmalai ahead of time?
Yes, poach the discs a day ahead and keep them in their syrup in the fridge, and make the rabri separately. Warm the rabri and soak the discs on the day.
How long does rasmalai keep in the fridge?
Covered in glass or ceramic, rasmalai keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and is softest on the first day. Freezing is not recommended because the discs turn grainy once thawed.
Who invented rasmalai?
Rasmalai is Bengali in origin, and both the Das family of Kolkata and the Sen brothers of Comilla claim to have made it first. Neither claim has been independently verified.
Is rasmalai vegetarian and eggless?
Yes, it is made from milk, sugar, lemon juice, and flavourings, with no egg or gelatin. Check the labels of store bought paneer and condensed milk if you use them.
How many calories are in one piece of rasmalai?
One piece of this recipe has roughly 150 calories as an estimate. The figure changes with the fat in the milk and the amount of rabri spooned over each piece.