Rasgulla

This is the second dessert recipe from the given list for this month's Marathon.

Loved by all, the traditional Bengali sweet, the Rasgulla. Soft and spongy balls made of fresh paneer and dipped in sugar syrup. You just cannot stop at having only one! My daughter love these soft spongy balls and regularly request me to prepare them. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
For The Chenna / Soft Paneer

5 Cups Full Cream Milk
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice

Other Ingredients for the Syrup

1 cup Sugar
5 Cups Water

Method

For the chenna

In a broad and deep pan and bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the flame and wait for a minute, while stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice gradually by take little of the milk in a curry spoon and mixing it, then add this to the remaining milk and keep stirring gently. Allow it to stand for a minute to curdle. Keep adding the lemon juice in the same way till it is completely curdled,i.e. when the chenna and the whey (greenish water) separate out.
Strain using a muslin cloth. Discard or store the whey.
Place the muslin cloth with the chenna in a bowl of fresh water and wash it 2 to 3 times.
Tie and hang for 30 minutes for the extra water to drain out.

How to proceed for the syrup
Put water in a a large deep vessel, add the sugar and bring to a boil, while stirring occasionally so that the sugar dissolves completely.

Meanwhile, squeeze the muslin cloth to drain any more water remaining.

Place the muslin cloth on a flat plate, open it and knead the chenna very well using your palms for 3 to 4 minutes or till the chenna is smooth and free of lumps.

Divide the chenna into equal portions and roll each portion into small balls between your palms using light pressure. Ensure that the balls are smooth and no cracks appears.