Rasgulla Recipe – Sharmis Passions

Rasgulla is a popular Indian sweet that is made for special occasions & Diwali across India but relished almost every other day after meal in Bengal. This recipe has a mild sweet taste, and when you bite, the juicy soft texture feels really nice. And yes making these rasgullas at home need some patience, but once you see them turning spongy in syrup, the effort feels worth it. Learn to make easy and perfect spongy rasgulla with the help of step by step pictures and video.

This sweet dish is often served after lunch or dinner as an after meal dessert. Unlike ghee loaded sweets, rasgulla never feels heavy, so even if stomach is already full, you can still enjoy one or two. It is made using very simple ingredients like milk, vinegar, sugar and cardamom.

About Rasgulla

RAsgulla literally means ‘ syrup filled balls’. Rasgulla is made by curdling milk then separating chenna(paneer or Indian cottage cheese). Then the separated chenna is kneaded and shaped into smooth balls which is cooked in sugar syrup till they turn light and spongy.

Rasgulla is one of the most loved sweets across India. These are soft when pressed, and fully soaked in sugar syrup inside. The syrup is thin, lightly sweet with cardamom or sometimes rose essence, giving a gentle flavor. That balance makes rasgulla different from heavy milk sweets and keeps it refreshing even after a full meal.

Each rasgulla soaks syrup fully, so every bite feels juicy but never sticky. The pure white round look also makes it very tempting to see, and many people serve it chilled which makes the taste even better. The only main care is making smooth chenna, because that decides how soft the rasgullas will come. Once chenna is perfect, rest is easy to handle.

There are many versions too. You can fill dry fruits inside, or use saffron or rose water in the syrup, and there is a famous version called chhena poda which is baked, it has a caramel taste. Each style has its own charm, but still this classic white rasgulla is the most loved.

I usually make rasgulla during festive days and sometimes even on weekends when we want a sweet. It is easy to serve, everyone at home enjoys. Mittu is fond of rasgulla and demands it during special occasions especially her birthday. Gugu loves rasmalai so make it with few of them just for him. I love rasmalai more than rasgulla but can easily gulp few rasgullas too.

Rasgulla Video

Rasgulla Ingredients

• Milk – I have used full cream milk as it gives rich and soft chenna. I would recommend using only full fat milk or any thick milk. Traditionally buffalo milk is used.
• Vinegar, water – Vinegar is mixed with water to curdle milk. This helps to make chenna soft and not rubbery.
• Sugar – I have used white sugar for making syrup, it makes rasgulla sweet and juicy, you can also adjust sugar depending on your taste.
• Cardamom powder – I just added 3 small cardamom. You can even add few drops rose essence if you like the flavor.

Why This Recipe Works

• This recipe is simple with very few ingredients, so anyone can try at home.
• The rasgullas turn soft and spongy if the tips are followed properly.
• You can serve them chilled which makes it very refreshing after a meal.
• This recipe works well for casual family after meal desserts.
• You can just flavor the syrup in many ways, making it a versatile recipe.

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How to make Rasgulla Step by Step

1.To a sauce pan add 1 liter milk. Stir and boil for a minute. Switch off and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.

2.To a small bowl add 2 tablespoon vinegar, 2 tablespoon water, mix it well and set aside.

3.Now add vinegar water solution little by little and stir gently. Now the flame is off, this helps to slowly curdle milk and the resulting chenna is so soft.

4.Now whey water(green liquid) and chenna(white solid) separates.

5.Now it is curdled completely. Switch off.

6.Transfer this to a cloth placed on a strainer. Keep a bowl underneath to collect the whey water. You can use this whey water for kneading chapathi dough or for curdling milk again.

7.Rinse it with water well.

8.Squeeze excess water.

9.Roll and place it on the strainer. Keep 2 bowls on it. Do not keep heavy weight. Set aside for 10 minutes.

10.Now open, moisture should be still there slightly, it should not be dry.

11.Transfer the prepared chenna to a wide plate crumble it first.

12.Knead it well using your palm like shown.

13.Knead for 10 minutes or until the texture changes.

14.At one stage it will gather to a mass without sticking. Make a dough like this. Pinch a small portion.

15.Roll between your palms gently and smoothly.

16.It is ready, Repeat to finish.

17.All the balls are made and ready!

18.Cover it with a wet cloth to avoid drying.

19.To a wide pot add 1 and ½ cups sugar along with 4 cups water and 3 small cardamom.

20.Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Let it boil for 5 minutes.

21.Give a quick mix. Add the prepared balls slowly.

22.Cook covered in high heat for 10 minutes.

23.You can see through the glass that it is doubled in size.

24.Now open slightly stir and cook covered in medium heat again for 5 minutes.

25.Rasgulla is ready!

Chill for minimum 30 minutes in fridge then serve!

Expert Tips

• Vinegar solution – Vinegar when mixed with water is more concentrated and makes chenna soft.
• Preparing chenna – Boil milk give a quick stir and switch off, let it rest for few minutes before adding vinegar solution. Add vinegar, water mixture little by little and stir gently.
• Kneading – I usually knead for at least 7-10 minutes till dough becomes smooth, this is what make rasgullas smooth and crack free. Make sure you do not over knead then fat will get released.
• Shape carefully – The balls must be smooth without cracks, I roll them gently in my palm for uniform shape.
• Sugar syrup – I always use wide vessel so balls have enough space to double in size, don’t overcrowd else the shape would change.
• Cooking time – Do not overcook as rasgullas may turn hard, I keep them covered on high flame for about 10 minutes then in medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
• Chilling – Let rasgullas rest in syrup before serving, I usually chill them in fridge few hours for best taste.
• Retain shape – You can dip the rasgullas in ice cubes with chilled water to retain its shape.

Serving and Storage

Serve rasgulla chilled straight from the fridge with some sugar syrup and garnish with pistachios. It also tastes nice when served plain without garnish. You can store leftovers in fridge for 3 to 4 days. Always keep them soak in sugar syrup, do not leave them dry as they will shrink.

FAQS

1.Can I add lemon juice?

Yes you can, but vinegar and water gives a more neutral flavor while lemon leaves a faint aftertaste even after rinsing.

2.What milk should we use to make Rasgulla?

Always use full fat or full cream milk for best results. You can use cows milk too but make sure it is thick. Always make sure to use only fresh milk. Traditionally buffalo milk is used.

3.How much time should we knead chenna?

It depends on the time and pressure applied while kneading. For me it took around 10 minutes to get the perfect texture. The dough should become pastey and soft making it easy to roll this is the perfect time to stop.

4.What is the consistency of sugar syrup?

Sugar syrup should be watery so no need to check for any consistencies. Just dissolve sugar, cook for 5 minutes then start adding the chenna balls.

5.How to check if rasgulla is cooked?

You can see the chenna balls will double in size after getting cooked. Cook covered for 10 minutes in high heat then give a light mix and cook covered again for 3-5 minutes.

6.Why is my rasgulla rubbery?

If you overcook then your rasgulla will turn rubbery. You cannot fix overcooked rasgulla so the only way is to use it for making rasmalai.

7.How long these last?

They stay good for about 3 to 4 days when stored in fridge with sugar syrup.

If you have any more questions about this Rasgulla Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

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