Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Rasgulla
Spongy, snow-white, melt-in-the-mouth cottage cheese (chenna) dumplings cooked in a light sugar syrup. A Bengali masterpiece.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- full fat cow's milk
- lemon juice or vinegar
- ice cubes
- sugar
- water
- cardamom pods
- rose water (optional)
Equipment
- Large pot with tight lid
- Muslin cloth
Instructions
- 1
Boil Milk
Bring full-fat cow's milk to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Turn off the heat and wait 2 minutes.
- 2
Curdle the Milk
Gradually add diluted lemon juice or vinegar, stirring gently, until the milk solids (chenna) completely separate from the greenish whey.
- 3
Stop the Cooking
Immediately drop a few ice cubes into the pot. This stops the cooking process and keeps the chenna soft.
- 4
Strain the Chenna
Pour the mixture through a muslin cloth set over a strainer. Wash the chenna thoroughly under cold running water to remove the lemon flavor.
- 5
Hang to Drain
Squeeze out the excess water gently. Hang the muslin cloth for exactly 30 minutes. The chenna should be moist, but not dripping wet.
- 6
Knead the Chenna
Transfer the crumbly chenna to a large plate. Using the heel of your palm, knead it for 5-7 minutes.
- 7
Achieve the Texture
Stop kneading as soon as it comes together into a smooth dough and your palm starts feeling slightly greasy.
- 8
Form Balls
Pinch small portions and roll them into smooth balls without any cracks. They will double in size, so keep them small.
- 9
Prepare Light Syrup
In a wide, deep pot, boil 1 cup of sugar with 4 cups of water and cardamom pods. The syrup must be very thin and boiling vigorously.
- 10
Cook the Dumplings
Drop the chenna balls into the boiling syrup. Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- 11
The Steam Bath
Let them boil covered on high heat for 15 minutes. Do not open the lid frequently. The steam cooks them and makes them spongy.
- 12
Cool and Serve
Turn off the heat. Let them cool completely in the syrup. Serve chilled.
Cooking Tips
- Cow's milk is mandatory for Rasgulla. Buffalo milk has too much fat and will make the dumplings hard and chewy.
- The kneading time is crucial. Under-kneading makes them break in the syrup; over-kneading releases fat and makes them dense.
Variations
- Nolen Gurer Rasgulla: A winter specialty made with date palm jaggery instead of sugar.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Rasgulla is the base for many other famous Bengali sweets, including Rasmalai and Chum Chum.
Nutrition Estimate
150 calories · 5g protein · 25g carbs · 4g fat · 0g fiber per serving
