Kesar Rasmalai

Rasmalai is one of the desserts always present on the wedding menu. My best friend, Rakhi, and I always wished that all wedding dinners had this on the menu. We were tired of eating Gulab Jamuns and needed a change.
Rasmalai is basically a combination of Rabdi and Rasgulla (without the water.) I, being a milk-lover, love rasmalai and every form of it i.e. angoor rabdi, rasgulla,etc. I made some extra Rasmalai so that I could take them to office for my colleagues to taste. I was surprised with the result I got. It was just AWESOME!

Ingredients for Rasgulla: 
Milk - 4 cups
Lime Juice - 1/4 cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Baking Soda - 1/4 pinch
Muslin Cloth

Ingredients for Ras/Rabdi:
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 6 tbspn
Condensed Milk - 2 tbspn
Corn Flour - 3 tspn
Kesar/Saffron - 2 pinches
Cashews - 4
Pistachios for garnishing
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tspn
Water

Procedure:
To make Rasgullas - 

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottomed-pan and stir it once in a while. In the meantime, mix lime juice in a cup of water and keep aside.
2. Once the milk starts boiling, add the lime juice and water mixture to it and stir till the milk curdles. If it doesn't curdle, add some more lime juice to the milk. Now the curd is separating from the whey.
3. Now turn off the heat and drain the whey using a strainer lined with muslin cloth/cotton cloth.
4. Now rinse the curd in muslin cloth under cold water so that the lemony taste is gone. Make sure the water passes well through the curd.
5. Now wrap the muslin cloth tight and squeeze the excess water out. Keep the tightly squeezed curd wrapped in the cloth for an hour under pressure (I used the pot in which I boiled the milk as a weight).
6. Check if enough water is drained from the paneer by taking a small lump and rubbing it on the palms for a minute. If a smooth ball (Without cracks) is formed after this step, then it is perfect.
7. Now take out the paneer and knead it with the soda for 5 minutes and then make 1/2" smooth firm patties (Press lightly). They must be small in size as the rasgullas double in size after they are cooked in the cooker. 
8. Now start boiling the water and sugar mixture on high heat in a cooker and then add the patties to it. Make sure the cooker is large enough to accomodate all the rasgullas. 
9. Cook the rasgullas on High heat until the cooker starts steaming. Now reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 8-10 minutes and then turn off the heat.
10. Once the pressure is gone, open the cooker and remove the patties and squeeze a little to remove the excess syrup and keep them aside.

To make Ras/Rabdi -

1. Boil the 3 cups of milk in a heavy-bottomed pan stirring frequently. Once it starts boiling, add sugar and condensed milk to it.
2. Now mix corn starch with a tablespoon of water and make sure no lumps are formed. Make it a smooth paste and add it to the milk stirring very quickly for 2-4 minutes. Then add the powdered cashew nuts as well.
3. Now boil the milk till it is 2/3rd  of its volume or till it is thick enough. Now add Kesar/Saffron and cardamom powder to the saturated milk and add the Rasgullas to it and boil for 2-4 minutes and turn off the heat.
4. Garnish the Rasmalai with Pistachios and Saffron and serve chilled.

Variations:
If the rasgullas break or do not come as you thought they should have, do not worry as it would taste great in the rabdi. You can vary by adding some fruits like grapes, pomegranate etc to enhance the taste.

Conclusion:

I am having the Rasmalai the third time as I am typing this. Needless to say, it is YUMMMM!!!