Kesar and Rose ~ Ras Malai { Homemade cheese dessert}

Did you know the art of cheesemaking was introduced to India by the Portuguese who settled on the west coast of Bengal and Goa? Thereby introducing the art of cheese making to these regions where a completely new type of Indian desserts were born. Ras Malai is a sweetened fresh curd kind of cheese, almost moist like ricotta-curdled cheese ball(s) that are immersed in clotted milk infused with saffron and cardamom - my other all-time favorite dessert. This is how my mum made it; I have only deviated from it, in that I do not insert a “shakar” or rock sugar in the cheese balls. The Indo-Pak stores/restaurants in the US sell ras-malai which is swimming in tepid beige milk and often tastes like "refrigerator flavour". Mum would just look at the tray and say “this type of ras malai makes that “che che” noise when you eat it”, in other words, it was chewy and gummy, not soft and juicy. So what better way to live your best Barbie summer than with this rose rasmalai - sweet, dainty and delightfully floral-oh so deliciously sophisticated and, of course, refreshingly pink. And what’s Barbie without a bit of sparkle? so to gild the lily, adding some edible gold leaf.
Here are my Kesar Ras Malai {Saffron & Cardamom} and Rose Ras Malai - {Rose and Cardamom}
1-liter milk (Full fat milk) approx. 4 cups
4 tbsp. white vinegar
SUGAR SYRUP
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
* 1 tbsp Rose syrup or Rooh Afza
RASMALAI MILK
2½ cups full fat whole milk
1-cup evaporated milk
½ cup white sugar
½ tsp. cardamom powder
1 tsp. saffron pistils
3 tablespoon slivered almonds & pistachios
*3 tbsp. rose syrup or Rooh Afza
** I used 2 tbsp. Milk powder (Nido) to make the Rabri like milk texture.
To make the Paneer/Chenna
Pour the milk into a heavy based pan and bring to boil. Turn off the heat, and add the vinegar, stirring briefly until the milk curdles.
Meanwhile, line a sieve or colander with muslin or cheesecloth and once the curd has separated from the whey pour the mixture into the lined sieve.
Rinse the curd under cold, running water to remove any sourness from the vinegar whilst still in the muslin cloth.
Then gently twist the cloth to squeeze out excess moisture and place the cloth with the cheese back inside the colander resting it on a plate to catch any excess water.
Place some weight on the cheese, to drain excess whey, for 20- 30 minutes until the water stops dripping. This is important as if not drained well the paneer/ rasmalai pieces will break up in sugar syrup.
After 20 minutes, knead the paneer using long gliding motions and push with your palm or pressing with your palm against the worktop and then folding it back into the larger portion, knead it until it turns from grainy to smooth and creamy. (If the chenna is too dry, add ½ tsp hot water to soften it a tad)
Divide the chenna/cheese into equal pieces- about 15 large or 24 small and roll into balls between your palms for a smooth round ball, then lightly press to form a disc.
Repeat for all the pieces.
Reheat the sugar syrup to a rolling boil, then carefully drop the paneer balls in the pan, cover the pan with a lid, and put your timer on for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, transfer the boiled rasgullas gently into a bowl of fresh water - they should have enough space and not get crowded in the bowl.
Then after 5-10 minutes, gently squeeze out the fresh water from the disc’s by pressing gently between your palms, they should spring back, then transfer them to the prepared rasmalai milk.
And transfer everything to a container. Cover the container and refrigerate for 10 hrs and garnish with slivered nuts.
To gild the lily, garnish with edible gold leaf.
For the sugar syrup:
In a large, wide mouth deep pan or an Instant Pot combine the water and sugar to a boil then add the prepared balls in batches, cook for 15 minutes OR manual pressure for 8 minutes in the Instant Pot. Don’t overcrowd the balls as it will double in size while cooking.
* for Kesar Ras Malai- no need to add anything
*for Rose Ras Malai- add 1 tbsp. of rose syrup or Rooh Afza.
For the Ramalai Milk:
Combine the milks in a large, heavy-based pan.
Add the sugar, saffron and ground cardamom seeds ( at this point add the milk powder if using to thicken the milk to a rabri texture (milk and sugar that cooked down until it is reduced to a thick but runny porridge-like consistency then garnished with nuts, saffron and cardamom).
* for Rose Ras malai add Rose syrup or Rooh Afza and leave out saffron.
Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to low simmer for 30-40 minutes until reduced by half.
Stir often to avoid the milk burn and keep the heat on a low simmer. When the milk has cooled down, strain any skin that has formed, or leave it if you like.