Rasgulla step-by-step recipe with photos.
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About this recipe
Roshogolla is a milk-based sweet dish that needs no introduction. It originates from Bengal and is popular throughout India. Rosogola is known for its soft and spongy texture. These juicy cheese balls are perfect for festivals and celebrations.
Rasgulla is made with 'chana' or 'chenna' which can be obtained by curdling the milk. Traditionally, the chena is kneaded well to turn it into a smooth mass which is then cooked in sugar syrup. But here, I am using a food processor to blend it - this saves a lot of time and does not compromise the texture.
It is really simple to make once you get the hang of it. Everything you need to know when making them at home is included in this post. The ratio of ingredients and steps is really important to get perfect results every time.
Read on for ingredients, tips, and all troubleshooting techniques to make the perfect spongy rasgullas at home that tastes just like the ones you buy from the mithaiwalas.
Related: Milk powder barfi.
Ingredients
Milk: Use whole milk to make this dish.
Sugar: I use sugar to sweeten them; however, jaggery can also be used to sweeten them which gives them a brown hue.
Lemon juice: Lemon juice is used to curdle the milk and separate the whey.
Flour: Here is my secret ingredient. I add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour per liter of milk to give the perfect texture.
Step-by-step instructions
Place the milk in a thick bottom pan and bring it to a boil. Pour in the lemon juice stirring continuously and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute. At this stage, the milk will curdle and whey separates from it (step 1).
Take a muslin cloth or cheesecloth into a colander and pour the curdled milk into it. Squeeze out excess water gently and let the cottage cheese/chana cool completely. At this stage, the cottage cheese will be very crumbly (steps 2,3).
Put the cottage cheese into a food processor or mixie along with 1 teaspoon of flour (step 4).
Process until it comes together and is soft, about a minute. The flour is just to bind the cottage cheese together. It is really important not to add more flour else they will lose their taste (step 5).
Make small balls with this chana, taking care there are no cracks (step 6).
In a heavy bottom pan, add water and sugar together and bring to a boil. Let the sugar dissolve completely. Add the cottage cheese balls into the syrup and cover the pan (step 7).
Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rasgullas are cooked and almost double in size. To check if they are done, take cold water in a bowl and carefully drop one rasgulla into it. If it sinks, it is done. If it floats, simmer for another 1-2 minutes and check again (step 8).
Useful tips
Use whole milk, and where possible, use unhomogenized milk.
Use the right-sized pan for boiling. They swell up and become almost double in size. Do not overcrowd them in the pan. If needed, make them in batches.
The moisture content of chenna/chana is important. You need to squeeze out the excess whey gently from the chena but also take care it is not too dry. If the chena is dry, the rosogola will turn hard and if it has too much moisture, they will fall apart in the syrup.
Make chena/chana and do not use paneer. Chena and paneer are different and this sweet cannot be made with paneer. Always make fresh chhena and use it to make rasgullas.
Once you add the lemon juice to curdle the milk, turn off the heat. Do not boil the milk after adding the lemon juice.
Do not overdo the chena in the food processor. Else, it will turn too soft and difficult to handle. Process it for just about a minute. You may knead the cottage cheese with your hands but I find it time-consuming and tedious. Also, using a food processor will give you a uniform result.
Make sure you add just 1 teaspoon of flour per liter of milk. We just need the flour to bind the chenna. Adding more flour will alter the taste of the rasgullas.
When making balls, roll them gently between your palms. Make sure there are no cracks on the cheese ball.
To check if they are done, take cold water in a bowl and carefully drop one rosogolla into it. If it sinks, it is done. If it floats, simmer for another 1-2 minutes and check again.
More traditional Indian sweets
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FAQs and troubleshooting
They will turn hard if the chena is too dry or if it is over-processed. Take care not to make it too dry while squeezing out the whey. Irrespective of whether you use a food processor or knead it with your hands, do not overdo it. The food processor should take less than a minute.
Do not boil the milk after adding lemon juice. Turn the heat off immediately. Rasgulla will turn chewy if the curdled milk is boiled.
This can happen for two reasons – the moisture content in chena is high or they are over-processed. The rasgulla can turn flat if they do not get enough space to expand. They need a lot of space to expand.
Drop a rasgulla in a cup of water. If they sink, they are done and if they float, they are not cooked completely and need to be simmered for a few more minutes.
They stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 days. Just heat them briefly in a microwave before serving – heating makes them softer.
More Indian desserts
Bonus
This rasgulla recipe is:
- tried and tested,
- fail-proof and includes all tips and troubleshooting,
- perfect for festivals and celebrations.
Recipe card
Rasgulla / Bengali Roshogolla
Ingredients
For the chena balls:
- 4 cups whole milk (1 liter / 1 quart)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
For the sugar syrup:
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
Instructions
Make the chena balls:
- Place the milk in a thick bottom pan and bring it to a boil.
- Pour in the lemon juice stirring continuously and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute. At this stage, the milk will curdle and whey separates from it.
- Take a muslin cloth or cheesecloth into a colander and pour the curdled milk into it.
- Squeeze out excess water and let the cottage cheese/chana cool completely. At this stage, the cottage cheese will be very crumbly.
- Put the cottage cheese into a food processor or mixie along with 1 teaspoon of flour.
- Process until it comes together and is soft, about a minute (the flour is just to bind the cottage cheese together. Don’t add more flour else the rasgullas will lose their taste)
- Make small balls with this chana.
Simmer in sugar syrup:
- In a heavy bottom pan, add water and sugar together and bring to a boil. Let the sugar dissolve completely.
- Add the cottage cheese balls into the syrup and cover the pan.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rasgullas are cooked and almost double in size.
- Serve warm or cold.
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