Simple and quick Rasmalai ( Milk based Indian sweet )

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Rasmalai is one of many famous sweets that originated from Bengal a state in the eastern region of India.Like a lot of sweets from that region it is milk based and is normally mildly sweet.
Normally this sweet is made by an elaborate process of boiling milk,pouring lemon or vinegar in it and when the cheese separates to roll it and put this in sugar syrup and then finally removing from sugar syrup and putting it into milk syrup. Whew...just listing the steps makes me tired :)

Anyway this recipe of mine is an adaptation of two different recipes I got,one each from an aunt and a cousin.I have made this numerous times and it always turns out well.This is a good dessert to make while entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and it is always such a success.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make the easy rasamalai recipe

1 Fat free Ricotta cheese 15 oz container
1/4 cup dry non fat milk powder
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 tsp cardamom powder

For the syrup
2 cup fat free half and half
5-6 tsp sugar
3 pinches of saffron strands
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Preheat oven at 350 deg F

Mix the first four ingredients ( the cheese, milk powder, sugar and cardamom powder) well and put this in an oven proof glass dish and bake for about 40 mins.Take care not to spread the mixture too thin as it may brown

(To check the mixture to see if done ,take a small part of the cheese in a spoon,cool slightly and try to roll this between your fingers,if you are able to roll this it means the mixture is ready.)(The mixture will look creamy at this point)

Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Simultaneously in a heavy bottomed pan heat the fat free half and half on a low/medium heat and add the sugar,the cardamom powder and the saffron strands stirring continuously.

When the half and half is heated,does not have to boil,take off from the stove and keep aside.

Roll the cheese into small lemon sized balls and flatten it.

Place this in a deep serving dish and pour the half and half milk on top of this.The milk should cover the balls completely.

Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serve chilled

This recipe yields about 16 pieces of rasmalai.

Notes:I used a glass dish that is about 10 X 14 inches in size and I needed about 40 minutes to bake the rasmalai. If you use a smaller dish you may need to bake longer.Baking times vary depending on size and material of baking dish so do keep that in mind while baking the rasmalai and check frequently on your first attempt.

While on the subject of sweets,what can be sweeter than an acknowledgement of friendship.Sowmya of Creative Saga has given a Friendship award to me.



Thank you so much Sowmya,I am truly honored.I would like to pass this award on to Trupti, Diksha, The Taste tinkerer, Karuna , Rashmi, Madhavi, Mitr and Mahimaa