Ras malai
Paneer discs in saffron milk
Soft paneer discs soaked in reduced saffron milk
Ras malai is a much-loved Bengali sweet now made all over India: soft discs of fresh paneer poached in light syrup, then soaked in milk boiled down until rich and creamy and flavoured with saffron. Served chilled, scattered with almonds, pistachios and cardamom. Makes about 50 small pieces.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the paneer
- 6 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ tsp citric acidor lemon juice; see the paneer recipe
For the syrup
- 4 ¼ cups water4 cups
- 12 ½ oz sugar
For the milk
- 10 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp sugaror to taste
- ½ tsp saffron, crushed
To decorate
- 2 tbsp almond and pistachio flakes
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
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What you'll need
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Make paneer: bring 6 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil, stir in 1 ½ tsp citric acid until the milk curdles, then drain the curds in muslin (see the paneer recipe).
15 minStep 2: Hang the paneer until it's dry, then knead into a smooth dough with the heel of your hand.
30 minStep 3: Roll into small balls and flatten each one a little.
Step 4: Boil 4 ¼ cups water and 12 ½ oz sugar in a wide pan until the syrup is slightly sticky.
8 minStep 5: Add the paneer discs one at a time, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. They will swell.
20 minStep 6: Take off the heat and let them cool, then drain the discs and set aside.
Step 7: Boil 10 ½ cups whole milk in a heavy pan, stirring often, until it reduces to half.
50 minStep 8: Add 4 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp saffron, crushed, strain the milk and let it cool.
Step 9: Stir in the ras malai and sprinkle with 2 tbsp almond and pistachio flakes and 1 tsp ground cardamom.
Step 10: Chill well before serving.
120 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ras malai take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of citric acid?
- Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp white vinegar per tsp (for curdling milk).
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Perfect for:Raksha Bandhan