ABOUT THE RECIPE RASAGOLA(RASGULLA):
Rasagola, also known as Rasgulla, is a sweet dish that is claimed by both Odisha and Bengal as their own. It is said that it was first offered to Lord Jagannath of Puri temple in the 12th century. The village of Pahala on the road between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar is famous for its distinctive Rasagola. The “Odisha Rasgulla” has recently received the GI tag from the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks, Govt. of India.
INGREDIENTS ODIA RASAGOLA(RASGULLA) :
1 litre milk to make chhena
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp semolina (sooji)
2 cup sugar (chini)
1 tsp cardamom powder
METHOD PREPARING CHENNA FOR ODIA RASAGOLA(RASGULLA) :
- Boil the milk in a pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and stir well. The milk will curdle and paneer (Chenna) will separate from the whey. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 10-15 mins. Then strain the paneer using a muslin cloth.
- Rinse the paneer with fresh water to remove the lemon smell. Then squeeze the muslin cloth with paneer and tie a knot to drain all the water from the paneer. Leave it aside for 4-5 hrs or overnight.
PREPARING ODIA RASAGOLA(RASGULLA) & SUGAR SYRUP:
- In a bowl, add semolina (sooji) and fine cardamom powder (optional) to the paneer and knead it until it becomes soft and smooth.(Tips: the softer you knead the softer the rasagola will be).
- Then shape the paneer into small balls and keep them aside.
- Add 5 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, and cardamom powder in a pan and boil them together..
- Once the sugar melts add the paneer balls. Ensure that there is enough sugar water to cover the balls.
- Then cook the balls for 30-40 mins over medium heat. In between the cooking process keep adding some hot water into the sugar syrup so that the syrup does not get thicker.
- It is necessary to keep the syrup boiling all the time while cooking the rasgulla in it. Do not cook it over low flame. If required, increase the flame to high to keep the syrup boiling.
- Once Cooked, let them cool.
- They will shrink a little after cooling, but it is normal.
- To check if the rasgullas are cooked , or not, drop a rasgulla in a glass of freshwater. It will sink to the bottom if done or else it will float on top if it is raw from inside.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS OF ODIA RASAGOLA(RASGULLA):
Use full fat cow’s milk for best results. However, if it is not available, you can use regular milk.
Do not use store bought paneer to make this sweet.
Use a deep and wide mouthed vessel for perfect cooking.
If prepared chhena is too dry, rasgulla will turn hard and if it is too soft, they will break while cooking and not retain their shape after cooking.
Do not knead chhena after it starts to release the fat.
It is necessary to keep the syrup boiling all the time while cooking the rasgulla in it. Do not cook it over low flame. If required, increase the flame to high to keep the syrup boiling.
Do not change the quantity of water and do not reduce the quantity of sugar
If you want to double the recipe, cook them in batches
You can use the same sugar syrup for the second batch. If syrup is not enough, add water and sugar in same ratio as given in ingredient
