Rose Rasgullas

To make the Paneer/ Ricotta cheese Line a sieve with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth folded twice. Place the sieve over a large bowl and keep aside. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and water and keep aside.

Add milk in a heavy bottomed pan (I use non stick). Heat the milk on medium flame till it comes to a boil; stir frequently to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

As soon as the milk comes to a boil, take it off the heat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes (I’m impatient so I had to time myself).

After 2-3 minutes, add the vinegar-water mix to the milk and stir slowly; the curds will start to separate from the whey and rise to the top.

As soon the curds rise to the top, add the ice to cool the whey and prevent it from further cooking the curds.

Slowly ladle or pour the curds into the cheesecloth lined sieve. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds to completely cover it then gently wash the curds by pouring fresh water over it; this is done to get rid of any sourness.

Tie/ secure the cheesecloth and hang it or put it in a bowl and place a weight on it to drain out all the water (2-3 hours). After all the water has been drained, you will get paneer/ cheese that is quite crumbly in texture.

For the Rasgulla Knead the paneer/ cheese, I find it easier to use my hands; you could also use a food processor; it should be a smooth, soft dough.

Divide the dough equally to make small marble sized balls (should be smooth and without any cracks); keep in mind they will double in size as they cook so form balls accordingly.

In a deep wide pot with a fitted lid, heat sugar and water, stir till sugar dissolves, add rose water, if using. As soon as the sugar dissolves and the water is heated (not boiling) add the cheese balls and cover tightly.

Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool without opening the lid (about 20 minutes). It’s best to let the rasgullas soak in sugar syrup for a couple of hours before serving.

Garnish with dried rose petals if you like. *use a pot that is large enough to hold all the rasgullas (remember they will double in size as they cook) or cook in two separate pots or in batches, overcrowding the pot will spoil the shape.