Rasmalai Recipe | How to Make Rasmalai | Soft Ras Malai Recipe

Rasmalai is an Indian sweet dish made from milk. It's a luxury dessert and can be made simply at home once you know how.

It does take a couple of hours to make but the procedure is not that hard. Watch the video and I'll show you how to make it step-by-step. And don't forget to checkout the additional tips at the end of this blog. ENJOY!

Rasmalai Recipe Makes 30 Small Ras Malai Cooking Time: 2 1/2 - 3 Hours (Approx)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 2 Litres Whole Milk (4 Litres Total)

• 300ml Double Cream

• 2 - 2 1/2 Cups Sugar

• 2 tsp Sliced Pistachios

• 2 tsp Sliced Almonds

• 1 tsp Cardamom Powder

• 1/2 tsp Fine Semolina

• 3 TBSP Malt Vinegar

METHOD

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat up 2 Litres of Whole Milk along with the Double Cream on a medium-low heat (number 4). This is for the basudi, the sauce of the Ras Malai. You want to stir this every now and then, making sure it does not stick at the bottom. Also, keep the spoon and spoon rest separate for this.

In another large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat up 2 Litres of Whole Milk on a medium heat (number 5). This is for making the malai discs. Again, make sure it does not stick at the bottom otherwise you will end up with brown bits in your malai! Again, keep the spoon and spoon rest separate for this as we will be adding vinegar to this pan to separate the curd and whey.

While the malai milk is heating up, prepare a small colander with a cheesecloth or fine-mesh cloth in it. Place it in the sink. We will use this to strain the milk after it has been separated. Also, get the Malt Vinegar and a tablespoon measure ready.

Once the Malai milk comes to a boil, add 3 TBS of Malt Vinegar to it gradually. Stir it in and you will see the curd and whey separate. As soon as it has separated, turn off the heat and pour the mixture carefully into the prepared colander in the sink and strain out all the curd. Then wash it under cold running water for a few minutes. You want to remove ALL the vinegar, otherwise the basudi may split.

Once the curd (malai) has been washed thoroughly, tie the cloth and squeeze out as much water as you can. Then use some heavy weight on top of the cloth with the malai to remove any excess water. Let this sit for about 30-40 minutes so it can drain. It needs to be free of any excess water, but not overly dry and crumbly.

Don’t forget to keep stirring the basudi every now and then.

Once the basudi has reduced in quantity to about half the original volume, (this takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours), add 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar and 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder. You can add more or less if you like. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your taste. I added 2 extra TBSP Granulated Sugar. Let it cook for a few extra minutes, then turn off the heat and let the basudi cool down. Pour the cooled basudi into a large serving bowl.

Once the Malai has drained, place it into a bowl and add 1/8th tsp Cardamom Powder and 1/2 tsp Fine Semolina to it. Then mix it by hand until it becomes soft and pliable. If you think it is too dry, you can wet your hand and knead it. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Don’t over knead so that the oils come out.

Roll the malai into small discs using a measure. I made about 30 balls. You can make them large or small, but remember that they will expand over time.

Once you have made about 10 discs, heat up a pressure cooker with 4 Cups Water and 5 TBSP Sugar and bring it to a boil. Then add 7-10 discs and pressure cook them for 3 whistles or 3-4 minutes. If you are using an Instant Pot, pressure cook them for about 5 minutes. Don’t over cook them.

Then release the pressure quickly and remove the discs onto a slotted spoon or plate. Gently squeeze out any excess water with a fork and place the discs into the basudi. You don’t want the basudi to become thinner because of the excess sugar water.

Continue this process with the remaining discs. Once all the discs are in the basudi, let the Ras Malai cool to room temperature. You can garnish it with sliced Pistachios, sliced Almonds, Cardamom Powder and Saffron if you like. Place the cooled Ras Malai in the fridge for at least a day, 2-3 days is better! As the Ras Malai sits, it will absorb more of the delicious basudi and become even tastier!

You can serve this cold from the fridge, at room temperature or slightly warm, Garnish with nuts before serving.

Ras Malai can also be frozen! Just place them in a container and pop them in the fridge. Defrost in the fridge and ENJOY!!

TIPS:

1. Use only Whole Milk. You need full fat milk and the creamier the better!

2. Don't have the heat on too high otherwise the milk will burn at the bottom and you'll have brown bits in the Rasmalai.

3. Use vinegar to separate the curd and whey. It works better than lemon juice and actually tastes better too! You can use Malt or White vinegar!

4. Make sure you keep your spoons and spoon rests separate for the basudi (milk sauce) and the malai (curd discs) as the malai will need vinegar and you don't want to accidentally end up splitting the basudi by mixing the spoons up!

5. Use a little fine semolina to bind the curd together. The texture comes out much better. But don't add too much as they discs may become hard.

6. Use a pressure cooker to cook the discs. This does make a difference in the texture. But don't overcook them.

7. Make sure you squeeze out the water from the discs after they have boiled to avoid thinning out the basudi.

8. After bringing the Rasmalai to room temperature, refrigerate it for at least 2 days before serving it. It tastes better as it sits.

9. You can freeze the Rasmalai to serve at a later date. Just place it in containers and pop it in the freezer. To serve it, just let it defrost overnight in the fridge.

Tips to avoid hard Rasmalai:

1. As soon as the curd and whey separate, drain the whey and wash the curd in cold water. Overcooking the curd will make it hard.

2. Don't over-drain the curd. If you remove too much water from the curd, it will be crumbly and become hard. You can wet your hands to add a little moisture if it seems over-dry.

3. Don't add too much fine semolina. You just want to add about 1/2 tsp to bring it together.

4. Don't over knead the curd as this may make it hard.

5. When boiling the discs, use a pressure cooker and pressure cook it for 3-4 minutes or 3 whistles on a fairly high heat. Then immediately release the pressure under cold water so it doesn't over cook. Over-cooking the discs may make them harder.