Authentic Rasgulla (Bengali Sponge Rasgulla)

5 from 83 votes

Authentic Rasgulla (Bengali Sponge Rasgulla)

Indulge in the decadent sweetness of homemade rasgulla with this fail-proof recipe that is perfect for festivals and celebrations. Made with chenna (cottage cheese) and soaked in fragrant sugar syrup, these soft and spongy cheese balls are a beloved dessert in the Indian subcontinent and are enjoyed by people of all ages.

Cook Time45

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Hindu, Vegetarian

Servings: rasgullas

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

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.

Notes

Make sure you add just one teaspoon of flour per quart of milk. Otherwise, the rasgullas will lose their taste.

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.

Do not overdo the cottage cheese in the food processor. Else, it will turn too soft and difficult to handle. The chena should just come together like a ball - it will take about a minute.

Nutrition