Rasmalai
رس ملائی
Rasmalai is the sweet that turns up at Eid tables, weddings and every dinner where guests are expected. Mithai shops make it from chhena, but most Pakistani homes use the quicker milk-powder method, which gives discs that are just as soft and spongy. The trick is a very soft dough, a gentle hand when shaping, and a covered pan so the discs swell in the steam without breaking.
- ⏱ Total: 45 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Medium
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the milk powder and baking powder in a bowl. Add the ghee and about three quarters of the beaten egg, and bring it together with a spoon into a very soft, slightly sticky dough. Add the rest of the egg only if it still looks dry. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Grease your palms with ghee. Pinch off grape-sized pieces of dough, roll each into a smooth, crack-free ball and press it gently into a flat disc. You should get 16 to 18. They will double in size, so keep them small.
Pour the milk into a wide , add the sugar and cardamom and bring it to a full boil over high heat, stirring so the sugar dissolves.
Lower the heat to low so the milk is just bubbling. Slide the discs in one at a time, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. The discs will puff up and float.
Uncover and stir in the saffron with its soaking milk, moving the pan gently rather than stirring the discs. Simmer for 5 more minutes until the milk turns pale gold and the discs feel spongy when pressed with a spoon.
Turn off the heat, scatter in half the nuts and let the rasmalai cool in the pan. Then cover and chill for at least 4 hours so the discs drink up the milk.
Serve chilled, two or three discs per bowl with plenty of the saffron milk, topped with the remaining pistachios and almonds.
Kitchen notes
The dough should be softer than you expect, almost like a thick paste. A firm dough gives hard, rubbery rasmalai.
Smooth the discs well. Any crack on the surface opens up in the hot milk and the disc can fall apart.
Do not stir with a spoon while the discs are cooking. Swirl the pan instead so they keep their shape.
The sweet of special occasions
Rasmalai came to Pakistan from the Bengal tradition of chhena sweets, and it has become a fixture of Eid, weddings, mehndi trays and boxes from the mithai shop. The name says it all: ras, the sweet milk, and malai, the cream. Soft discs sit in chilled, fragrant milk that has been sweetened and coloured with saffron. Served cold, it is one of the lightest-feeling desi desserts, even though it is made almost entirely of milk.
Why milk powder works
The shop method curdles milk with lemon juice, kneads the chhena until smooth and boils the discs in syrup before they go into the milk. It is delicate work. The milk-powder method skips all of that. Baking powder makes the discs rise and the egg holds them together, so they puff up directly in the sweetened milk and soak it in as they cool. The two things that matter are a dough soft enough to feel slightly sticky, and steady low heat with a lid on, which lets the discs cook through in the steam rather than toughening in rapidly boiling milk.
Variations
- Rose or kewra: a few drops of or rose water in the cooled milk give the scent of wedding rasmalai.
- Richer milk: let the milk reduce by a quarter before adding the discs, or stir in a few tablespoons of condensed milk, for a thicker, creamier sauce.
- Chhena discs: for the classic version, curdle a litre of milk with lemon juice, drain and knead the chhena until smooth, shape the discs and cook them in thin sugar syrup for 12 minutes before moving them into the reduced milk.
Making ahead and serving
Rasmalai has to be made ahead: it needs at least four hours in the fridge, and overnight is better, because the discs keep absorbing milk as they rest. Keep it covered so it does not pick up fridge smells. Serve it straight from the fridge in small bowls, with enough milk to spoon over each disc.
Questions people ask
Why did my rasmalai turn hard?
Usually the dough was too dry or was kneaded too much, or the milk was boiling hard instead of simmering. Keep the dough soft, handle it lightly and cook on low heat with the lid on.
Can I make it without egg?
Yes. Use 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk to bind the dough instead, adding it a spoon at a time. The discs come out slightly denser but still soft.
How long does rasmalai keep?
Up to 3 days in a covered dish in the fridge. It tastes even better on the second day.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 13 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
