Bengali Rasgulla

Rasgulla is a cheese-based, syrupy sweet dish popular in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Indian state of Odisha. The dish originated in Odisha. The dish is made from ball shaped dumplings of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings.

Ingredients

For The Rasgullas

1 recipe chenna
1 tsp plain flour (maida) for dusting

For The Sugar Syrup

5 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk

Other Ingredients

2 tsp plain flour (maida)

Method 

For the rasgullas

1. Divide the chenna into 16 equals parts and roll each part into a ball, taking care to see that the there are no cracks on the surface
2. Dust the back of a flat plate (thali) lightly with the flour and place the rolled chenna balls on it.

For the sugar syrup

1. Combine the sugar and milk with 3 cups of water in a large pan approx. 200 mm. (8") in diameter and 150 mm. (6") in height and heat while stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves.
2. When the syrup comes to a boil, the impurities in the sugar will begin to float on the surface, forming a grey layer.
3. Heat over a medium flame to allow the grey layer to float. Do not stir at this point as the layer will break and it will not clarify the syrup.
4. After about 5 minutes, slowly drizzle 1 cup of water form the sides of the pan with the help of a ladle. Water added at this stage will bring down the temperature of the sugar syrup and will not allow it to boil and break the grey layer.
5. Continue to simmer the syrup over a medium flame for about 10 minutes and then gently remove the grey layer using a slotted spoon.
6. Bring the syrup to the boil once again and then slowly drizzle another cup of water from the sides of the pan using a ladle. Remove all the remaining impurities from the syrup, again using a slotted spoon.
7. Increase the flame and boil vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Mix 2 teaspoons of the plain flour with 3/4 cup of water to make a flour solution. Keep aside.
2. Heat the sugar syrup in a deep pan over a high flame and allow it to boil vigorously.
3. When it boils, sprinkle half the flour solution in the sugar syrup and then add the chenna balls by upturning the plate on which they are kept. (do not touch the chenna balls at this point as they are fragile).
4. When the flour solution is added, a frothy layer is formed on the surface of the syrup.
5. If the frothy layer begins to subside, sprinkle the remaining half portion of the flour solution.
6. After this, keep on sprinkling water (minimum 1 cup) on the surface of the sugar syurp. Ensure that the syrup froths all the time while cooking the rasgullas.
7. Cook for about 15 minutes, continuously sprinkling water to enable the froth to form.
8. Check if the rasgullas are cooked. This is determined by touch. If the rasgulla springs back and retains its shape when pressed, it is cooked. Another way of checking is to drop a rasgulla in a pan of cold water.
9. If it sinks to the bottom, it is cooked.
10. Remove form the fire.
11. Transfer the rasgullas to a bowl along with 2 ladles of sugar syrup and 1 cup of water.
12. Cool and chill for approx. 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Tips

1. Rasgullas should always be cooked on a very high flame.
2. While cooking rasgullas, the sugar syrup must froth continuously.
3. The pan should be approximately 200 mm. (8") in diameter and 150 mm. (6") in height and the sugar syrup should fill about 1/3 of the pan.
4. While making rasgulla shapes (see variation below), always ensure that there are no cracks on the surface of the shapes.
5. While cooking, rasgullas expand to at least 4 times their original size.
6. While sprinkling water on the syrup when the rasgullas are cooking,
7. make sure you sprinkle a little water at a time (approx. a teaspoon at a time using your hands) and not large quantities.
8. The cooking time of the rasgullas will vary depending on their size.
9. (i.e. large shapes viz. the rolls, rajbhog etc. will need more cooking time and versa).
10. VARIATION : KAMALA BHOG
11. Add a few drops of orange essence (or 1 teaspoon of finely chopped orange rind) and a few drops of orange food colour to the chenna.
12. Proceed as for rasgulla. Also, add a few drops of orange food colour to the sugar syrup just before adding the chenna balls to it.
13. VARIATION : RASGULLA SHAPES
14. SQUARES : Divide the chenna into 14 equal portions and gently shape each portion into a 25 mm. x 25 mm. (1" x 1") square.
15. LOGS : Divide the chenna into 8 equal portions and gently roll each portion into the shape of a log of 12 mm. (1/2") diameter and 50 mm. (2") length.
16. Proceed with the sugar syrup and the method of cooking as stated in the preceding recipe.
17. Use as required.