Rasgulla

Rasagolla.

Rasagolla is a famous Orissa sweet made of freshly curdled milk called chenna. Chenna is kneaded thoroughly and made into small balls. These cheese balls are then cooked in bubbling mild sugar syrup till they are extremely soft and spongy. Cooked chenna balls are then soaked in light sugar syrup and served.
Makes: around 10 Rasagolla.

Ingredients:

Chenna 1 Cup
Sugar 2 Cups + 1/4 Cup

Method of preparation:

Crumble the chenna and thoroughly knead it with help of hands.
Refrigerate chenna for sometime helps in kneading.
After a lot of kneading (around 10 minutes), take lime sized chenna and roll it into soft ball.
Repeat the same with remaining chenna mixture.

For sugar syrup, heat a cup of water in a sauce pot.
Add two cups of sugar and bring it to boil.
When all the sugar dissolves and the sugar syrups thickens lightly, remove from heat.

Bring to boil a two cups of water on high heat in a deep pot, add quarter cup of sugar.
Once the water comes to heavy bubble, slowly drop couple of the chenna balls into the water.
Let the water bubble for 5 – 8 minutes, after which chenna balls almost double in size.
When the rasagulla feels very light and soft, remove them from hot water and dip into the sugar syrup.
Repeat the same with any leftover chenna balls.
Serve rasagulla chilled.
Notes:Make sure to chenna mixture doesn’t crumble once kneaded.

Suggestions:Chenna balls break in syrup – Knead the chenna mixture thoroughly next time. Test with one chenna ball and proceed with others. Don’t overcook them in the mild sugar syrup, else they break.
Variations: Chenna can be kneaded along with little amounts of sooji or plain flour. Sugar syrup can be flavored with saffron or rose water or green cardamom powder. Light syrup in which the chenna balls are cooked is sometimes made more viscous with plain flour. Chenna balls can be stuffed with various ingredients like sugar crystals, cashews, raisins, etc… Kheermohan, Chandrakala, Chum chum, Rasmalai , Sondesh etc…
Other Names:Rasagolla, Rasgulla, Rasgolla, Orissa Rasagulla.