Bengali Rasgulla/ Rosogulla

Quantity: 15-20 Rasgullas (depending on size)
Shelf Life: 2-3 days (if referigerated)


Ingredients:

• Whole Milk: 1 Litre
• Lemon Juice: 3-5 tbsp (I used juice of 1 Lemon in 1 Litre Milk)
• Sugar: 1 1/2 cup (You can add more sugar, if you like it more sweet)
• Water: 4 cups

Method:

• To make Paneer/ Cheena: 
•  Boil milk and add lemon juice slowly while stirring continuously. The milk will start curdling. When paneer separates from water, switch off the gas. (If you add lemon juice more than the required amount, it will make your chenna hard.)

• Immediately, take a clean muslin cloth and sieve the paneer from that cloth (Don't throw the water as it contains lots of proteins. Use it for cooking). Wash the paneer with cold water to cool it down and to take away the sourness of lemon.

• Hang the cloth with tap for 45mins- 1 hr so that all the water is drained. (Remember, paneer should be moist, if it is dry then rasgullas will be hard )
• Paneer is ready.
•  Now put paneer in a plate and mash it with hands (for approx 7-10 mins) till it forms a soft dough. (Softer the dough, spongy the rosgulla)

• Divide it into 15-20 equal size portions and make balls (The balls should not contain any crack) (Make small balls as the balls will become double in their size in the final outcome)

• Sugar Syrup: 
• Take a pan. Boil water and sugar till sugar dissolves in it. (The syrup should not be thick)
• (If you have any impurities in sugar, add 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice in the above sugar syrup, boil , all the impurities will get separated, and then sieve)
• Divide sugar syrup in two parts. One for cooking balls and other to soak the balls once they are done.
• Next step can be in done in either of the two ways: (But better to make by 2nd method)
• First Method: Take half of the above sugar syrup in open pan (preserve the remaining sugar syrup in separate pan). Add paneer balls in it.  On high flame, cook for 3-5 mins (with lid covered) and then on low flame for 10-12 mins (lid covered), till the balls become double as compared to their original size. Keep checking the consistency of sugar syrup. If the sugar syrup becomes thick, add half cup of water to maintain the consistency of sugar syrup.

OR

• Second Method (Preffered one): Put half of the above sugar syrup (should be hot ) in pressure cooker (preserve the remaining sugar syrup in separate pan)  Add paneer balls. Take one whistle and then cook on low flame for 7-8 mins. Switch off the gas and remove the cooker from gas. When the steam settles by itself, open the cooker.
• Press one ball with hand. If it retains its shape, rasgulla is ready. Other method is to dip one ball in cold water, if it sinks and rests at bottom of the water, rasgulla is ready.
• Put the balls in remaining sugar syrup in separate pan and cool them for 3-4 hours before serving.
• Serve chilled. 

PS:

• If you are making rasgullas in more than 1 batch/ turns, make sure you maintain the same thin consistency of the sugar syrup by adding more water. The sugar syrup becomes thick as you continue to boil it.
• If your paneer crumbles, add 1/4 tsp of maida while kneading.