Rasgulla Recipe (Soft as Cotton, Juicy to the Core)
Learn how to make soft, spongy rasgulla at home with this easy Bengali sweet recipe. Follow my step-by-step instructions and tips for perfect results every time!
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Ingredients
- 1 liter whole milk I use cow milk
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon tap water
- 1 teaspoon semolina fine sooji (all purpose flour works too)
- 1 drop rose essence
For Sugar Syrup
- 4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar for making cooking syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar for adjusting the sweetness of syrup for soaking
- 1 drop rose essence
Instructions
Prepare the Chenna
- Choose a heavy-bottomed, deep cooking pot. Your regular pasta boiling pot or something similar will work great. Make sure there is enough room for the milk to rise as it comes to a boil.
- Pour 1 liter of full-fat milk into the pot. Heat up over low-medium heat while stirring regularly with a rubber or soft spatula to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom or scorching. Bring the milk to a gentle boil. For 1 liter of milk, this should take about 10–12 minutes.
- Switch off the heat and let the milk rest for 1½ -2 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the white vinegar and water in a small bowl or measuring cup. I prefer using a measuring cup with a spout because it makes pouring easier. You can use lemon juice instead of vinegar if you prefer but make sure that no lemon pulp goes in.
- Also, place a colander lined with muslin cloth or cheesecloth over a large bowl. Make sure the bottom of the colander does not touch the bottom of the bowl so there is enough room to collect the whey.
- Add the vinegar mixture to the hot milk in three additions. After each addition, gently stir the milk to distribute the vinegar. Avoid stirring vigorously, as we want the milk solids to separate without breaking them into very fine particles.
- After the third addition, you should see the milk separating into soft white chenna and greenish whey. Once the milk has curdled completely, immediately strain it through the prepared colander. Don't let the chenna sit in the acidic whey for too long, as this can make it sour and affect its texture.
- Pour 1 cup cold water over the chenna to rinse away any remaining vinegar. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth to make a pouch and gently press it for 5–8 seconds to squeeze out the excess water.
- Place the pouch back in the colander and set a heavy weight over it. I use my heavy mortar for this. Let the chenna drain for no more than 8–10 minutes. We want to remove the excess water without drying it out completely. If you press the chenna for too long, it will lose too much moisture, which makes it dry and difficult to knead into a smooth dough
Knead and Shape the Rasgullas
- Unwrap the chenna and transfer it to a large, flat plate. I use a 12-inch plate, which gives me enough room to knead comfortably.
- Crumble the chenna using your fingers. Add the rose essence.Set a timer for 8 minutes. Using the heel of your palm, gently push and stretch the chenna forward against the plate. Gather it back together and repeat. Continue kneading for about 6–8 minutes, until the chenna comes together into a smooth, soft dough.
- The exact kneading time may vary slightly depending on how much moisture is left in your chenna. If it still looks grainy and feels dry, continue kneading for another minute or two. However, if it starts to feel greasy or releases fat, it means you have over-kneaded it. Stop kneading at this point.
- Add the fine sooji (semolina) and knead for another minute, just until it is evenly incorporated into the chenna. Avoid kneading excessively after adding the sooji, as this can make the rasgullas dense and chewy. Cover the chenna dough and let it rest for 5–10 minutes.
- To check whether the chenna dough is ready, take a small portion and roll it between your palms. It should form a smooth ball without any visible cracks and hold its shape well.
- Divide the rested chenna into 12-14 equal portions, approximately 1–1½ tablespoons each. Roll each portion between your palms to form a smooth, round ball. Make sure there are no cracks on the surface, as these can cause the rasgullas to break while cooking. Keep the balls small because they will almost double in size once cooked in the sugar syrup.
Cook the Rasgullas in Sugar Syrup
- In a large, wide cooking pot or kadai, combine 1 cup of sugar with 5 cups of water. I use my 12-inch kadai, which gives the rasgullas enough room to expand without crowding each other. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Place the kadai over high heat and bring the sugar syrup to a full, rolling boil. The syrup should be bubbling vigorously before you add the chenna balls.
- Without reducing the heat, carefully slide the prepared chenna balls into the boiling syrup, one at a time. Be gentle while adding them, and avoid dropping them from a height.
- Cover the kadai with a lid and let the rasgullas cook in the boiling syrup for 10–12 minutes. Keep the heat high throughout this time to maintain a steady, vigorous boil. Resist the temptation to lift the lid and check on them. The rasgullas need consistent heat to cook and expand properly.
- Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Keep it ready so you can transfer the rasgullas as soon as they finish cooking.
- After 10–12 minutes, the rasgullas should have almost doubled in size and become light and spongy. Switch off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer them from the hot syrup into the prepared ice bath. Let them sit in the cold water for at least 30 minutes. This stops the cooking process and allows the rasgullas to cool down.
Soak the Rasgullas in Sugar Syrup
- While the rasgullas are cooling, prepare the sugar syrup for soaking. Transfer 2.5 cups of the cooking syrup to another pan and add ? cup of sugar. Heat the syrup for 2–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the added sugar dissolves completely. Switch off the heat and let the syrup cool down.
- Once the rasgullas have cooled in the ice bath, remove them one at a time. Gently press each rasgulla between your palms to squeeze out the excess water. Be careful not to press too hard or break them. Removing the water allows the rasgullas to absorb the sweet syrup.
- Transfer the squeezed rasgullas to the prepared sugar syrup, making sure they are fully submerged. Let them soak for at least 2–3 hours, preferably longer, so they have enough time to absorb the syrup and become sweet and juicy throughout.
- Once the rasgullas have soaked well, refrigerate them for 3-5 hours until chilled. Serve them cold with plenty of sugar syrup and enjoy your homemade, soft and spongy rasgullas!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!