Sponge Rasgulla Recipe

Rasgulla is a cheese-based, syrupy sweet dish popular in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Indian state of Odisha. The dish originated in Odisha. The dish is made from ball shaped dumplings of chhena (an Indian  cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings.

History

The Rasgulla has been the traditional offering to the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi, the consort of the Puri temple's main deity, Jagannath. It is the first syrupy Indian cheese desserts. Originated in Odisha, where it is also known by its original name, Khira mōhana. It has been a traditional Oriya dish for centuries.  In the middle of the nineteenth century, the popularity of rasgulla spread to neighboring West Bengal. This was during a period when Bengali cuisine borrowed heavily from Oriya culinary traditions. In Bengal, rasgulla and a variety of other chhena sweets such as sondesh, are collectively referred to as Bengali sweets.

Nutrition

Typically, a 100 gram serving of rasgulla contains 186 calories, out of which about 153 calories are in the form of carbohydrates. It also contains about 1.85 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein.

Sponge Rasgulla Recipe

Bengali rasgullas are made from fresh chena with mixing ararot. They can also be made without mixing ararot. Rasgullas made with mixing ararot tend be less spongy but taste awesome. Rasgullas made without mixing ararot are spongier.

Ingredients for Bengali Sponge Rasgulla

·         Milk - 1 liter (5 cup, full cream)
·         Sugar - 300 gram (1.5 cup)
·         Lemon - 2 (squeeze out the juice)

Method for Bengali Sponge Rasgulla

Wash any big utensil and pour milk for boiling. Once milk starts boiling, turn off the gas and make milk cool down (keep it 80% hot). Add water in lemon juice.

Mix little lemon juice at a time in milk and mix well. Add lemon juice until milk starts to coagulant.  Once milk starts to coagulate stop adding lemon juice in milk. Strain the coagulated milk in any muslin cloth. Spread cloth over sieve and place a utensil beneath the sieve. Pour coagulated milk on top of the cloth. All water will drain out in utensil kept beneath the sieve and chhena will be left on the top. Pour 1-2 cup cold water on chhena so that it becomes cool and the savory flavor of lemon juice gets washed away. Cover chhena from all sides and squeeze rest of water. Soft chhena is ready.

Take out chhena in any plate and with help of your hands mash and knead to make it soft and tender. Divide the chhena in 10-12 parts. Take one part and bind it with hands giving it a shape of small ball. Place this ball in any plate and like wise prepare all balls.

Cook rasgullas in pressure cooker as its very less time consuming. For making rasgullas high temperature is needed, this is why use pressure cooker.

Add sugar and 4 cup water in pressure cooker and let it boil. When it starts boiling place the entire prepared balls in cooker one by one. Cover it with lid and let it simmer once. After it simmers once reduce the flame and cook for 7-8 minutes more.

Take cold water in any utensil and place pressure cooker in it. Cool the cooker or place it below water tap so that it becomes cool quickly. Open with alertness and take out rasgullas along with sugar syrup in a bowl and make them cool down. After 5-6 hours rasgullas become more sweet and tasty. Serve chilled sponge rasgullas.

Usefull Tip:

To make chhena make sure you cool down the milk a bit. Add 1 cup water in milk for making it cool quickly. This makes chhena softer and rasgullas comes out spongier.