Rasgulla
রসগোল্লা · rasagola
Soft chhena cheese balls cooked in sugar syrup, with strong cultural associations in eastern India and Bangladesh.
About this dish
Rasgulla is a syrup-soaked chenna sweet with strong associations in eastern India and neighboring food traditions. Its origin is contested, so this recipe does not assign one inventor or birthplace; the focus is the characteristic soft, spongy cheese dumpling.
Recipe
Bengali rasgulla
- 1 L whole milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice diluted with 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Syrup
- 300 g sugar
- 800 ml water
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1
Use 1 L whole milk; 2 tbsp lemon juice diluted with 2 tbsp water; 1 tsp cornstarch. Bring milk just to a boil. Add diluted lemon juice gradually, stirring gently until curds separate and whey is clear; remove from heat. Stir milk at the base and add diluted lemon only until whey clears; stop boiling once separated.
- 2
Strain through clean muslin, rinse briefly to remove lemon taste and drain 20-30 minutes. Curds should be moist but not dripping, not pressed into hard paneer. Rinse with cool potable water and drain without weighting into hard paneer; curds should be moist, not dripping.
- 3
Knead curds with cornstarch about 8 minutes until smooth. Divide into 16 and roll crack-free balls. Knead out graininess, stop before greasy and smooth every crack in equal balls.
- 4
Syrup: 300 g sugar; 800 ml water; 4 cardamom pods, crushed. Dissolve syrup sugar in water with cardamom in a wide pot. Bring to a simmer, add balls with expansion room and cover. Dissolve sugar first and leave plenty of expansion room in a wide pot; keep a steady gentle bubble.
- 5
Simmer steadily 12-15 minutes until doubled and spongy. Let cool in syrup, then refrigerate until serving. Cooked balls should spring back when pressed lightly. Cool submerged and refrigerate promptly; do not leave dairy sitting out for the whole day.
Note
Curd moisture and gentle kneading determine texture. Avoid squeezing chenna completely dry or crowding the pot.