I came to know about fiesta Friday through a very dear friend and fellow blogger Sonal Gupta . I thought I would join too .
Over here in the US Just like bringing a bottle of fine wine when you visit someone for the first time, a decorative box filled with different kinds of sweets is a traditional present taken as a hostess gift in India. So here I am bringing Rasbhari Or Rasgullas which is basically cottage cheese balls boiled in sugar syrup .
What do you do when you have a gallon of spoilt milk ? Make Rasbhari .
Rasbhari is originally from Orissa not Bengal. However, Bengali chefs are credited for perfecting the recipe and spreading it throughout the Indian subcontinent as Rasgullas . In Nepal, it is commonly known as rasbari.
Ingredients
4 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice Or Vinegar
½ teaspoon cardamom (Elaichi) powder
1 tsp semolina
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 cups sugar
5 cup water for boiling
Preparation:
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to milk and bring it to boil. The lemon juice will separate the milk into watery whey and solid chunks.
Throw away the liquid part by shifting the mixture through a clean muslin cloth. (It will take around 15 minutes to have excessive water drip off.). Then squeeze out the extra water.
Add semolina and ground sugar and mix with your hands and then knead well with the palm of your hands till it becomes extra soft and smooth and you can feel the fat on your hands. ( I used food processor with dough blade )
Knead for 10 minutes to 15 minutes and Once everything comes together to a smooth pilable dough, form them into smooth mini sized balls and keep aside. I made around 13-15 mini balls.( for colored cheese balls , divide the dough and mix food colors of your choice )
In a wide pan add cardamom powder to 2 cups of sugar and mix with 6 cups of water and 1 tsp lemon juice and make a thin syrup.
Simmer and add the balls and then cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes
Cheese Balls will expand about twice its size
Remove from the heat. Cool it. Serve it in room temperature or chill for a few hours before serving.( optional )
Shailja's Kitchen [ Meals & Memories Are Made Here ] 
This is awesome Shailja. Take it to The Novice Gardener’s Fiesta Friday.. People will love it :).
How nice of you to bring a friend, Sonal! 🙂
She just started blogging and I told her that there is no better way to start a blog than being a guest at Angie’s Fiesta Friday :).
I took it to Fiesta Friday Sonal 🙂
Love the Fiesta Friday concept and hoping to participate every Friday 🙂
These look like so much fun! I wish I could try them in real life and not just at our fiesta!! 😀
They were fun to make too Patty , especially the colorful ones 🙂
They look fun to eat and make!
They are all gone between my Son and his friends . It was my first attempt and they turned out really good .
What lucky kids!
What a lovely gift to bring to a party! I think I have eaten these before and they were so delicious! They look easy to make, so it is perfect for someone who has never made something like this before. Thanks for this recipe!
Thank you Chef Julianna . Rasgulla’s are usually white . I added some food coloring to make them a little fun looking for my Son and his friends .
Hi, Shelly! So nice meeting you and having you at the fiesta. These rasgullas (love the name!) are completely new to me. I wonder if they taste somewhat like little balls of cheesecake? Mmm… they certainly get my vote! I’ll have to give them a try. 🙂
Hello Angie . So nice to meet you . I cannot guarantee where as Rasgullas taste like cheese cake or not but can surely tell you that they are sweet little party in the mouth dessert . They are basically indian cottage cheese otherwise knows as Paneer boiled and simmered in sugar syrup . Do try making them sometime if you have a sweet tooth .
Looking forward to next weeks fiesta Friday 🙂
Yay
This is so interesting. It is basically ricotta cheese as the basis?
It’s not Ricotta cheese . This is freshly home made Indian cottage cheese otherwise known as Paneer 🙂
Thank you. It seems the making process is the same and then it is pressed. Coking with it is also different.
Hi Shailja! I have never heard of these rasgullas before–they look so beautiful in all their pastel colors. I think the tradition of bringing a treat to someone’s home is such a lovely idea and is even better than bringing a store bought bottle of wine. It shows you put time and effort and thought into your gift–like these little cheese balls! Yum!
Thank you Ngan . These Rasgullas are very common and one of everyone’s favorite dessert in India . They are usually natural white in color but I added some food coloring to make them interesting for my Son and his friends to try . I was very pleased with the outcome as it was my first time making them .
Ooh yum, I’m definitely making this! Might colour them green for (fake) St Patrick’s Day… 😛
That sounds like a good idea . Green desert 🙂 for St. Patrick’s !!!
Hi there I was just looking to your receipe ,looks good to me but there is some difference between receipe and ingredients . In ingredient you have written 1and1/2 cup sugar and in receipe you are asking for 2cups of sugar . If possible reply soon , I want to try this receipe for Rakhi .
Regards
Thank you for informing me . Let me check the recipe and rectify it 🙂
Neelu , fixed it . Thank you so much for bringing it to my notice 🙂