Ras Malai

Ras malai is a popular Indian dessert which consists of cream colored flattened paneer balls soaked in malai / creamy milk sauce flavored with cardamom.

Ingredients

Milk

Sugar

Condensed Milk

Lemon juice / Vinegar ~ 1 1/2 tbsp

Cardamom powder ~ 1 tbsp

Sliced Almond, Pistachio & Cashew Nut ~ 1/2 cup

Method

For making Flattened Paneer Balls

• First dilute lemon juice / vinegar by adding 1 tbsp of warm water.Then boil 4 cups of milk in a thick bottomed vessel in medium flame.Do stir in between, otherwise the milk may stick to the bottom of the vessel. 

• When it comes to a boil, add lemon juice / vinegar slowly to the boiling milk. Then the milk will start curdling. When the curds are fully separated from the whey, switch off the stove and pour it to a colander lined with thin cotton cloth / Muslin cloth / Cheese cloth. And keep it under cold running water for about 5-10 minutes. Then wrap the paneer in the cloth and squeeze the water out of it by pressing it very gently. And place this wrapped panner under a heavy weight for about 30 minutes. You can use a heavy vessel. 

• And then remove the paneer from the cloth and knead it nicely to make it like a chapathi dough. And by using your both hands make small smooth balls out of it and keep it aside. You can make up-to at least 10 balls. Then you gently flatten the balls.

• Then boil about 3 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar in wide thick bottomed pan. When it comes to a boil, add the flattened paneer balls into the sugar syrup. And cover the pan using a tight lid and boil it in high flame for just 5-6 minutes. The flattened paneer balls will become double in size after boiling. Then allow it to cool.

               

For making Creamy Milk Sauce / Malai

• First bring 1 1/2 cups of milk to a boil and add 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups of condensed milk and cardamom powder and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Since condensed milk have sugar in it, I didn't add any additional sugar. But if you feel its not sweet enough you may add about 2 tbsp of  sugar. Do stir continuously and remove from the flame.

• Then squeeze the sugar syrup out of boiled paneer discs / balls by pressing it gently and put it in the creamy milk sauce or Malai. And finally garnish with sliced almonds , pistachio and cashew nuts.You can even use a pinch of Saffron. Refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours before serving.