Rose-gulla
Succulent, spongy and gorgeously pink paneer balls dunked in rose flavored sugar syrup.
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres full cream milk
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4+1/4 cup rose milk syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tsp dried rose petals
Instructions
- Take 1.5 litres milk in a heavy-bottomed vessel and bring it to a boil.
- Add 2 tbsps of lemon juice and stir it. The milk solids will separate from the whey.
- Add 1/4 cup rose milk syrup and let it simmer for a minute or two. The milk solids will now absorb the flavor as well as the color.
- Line a strainer with a muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk over it. Pour some ice cold water on it to stop the milk solids from cooking further. Bring all the sides of the muslin cloth together and let it hang for 20-30 minutes.
- After 20-30 minutes, transfer the milk solids to a plate and knead them for about 10 minutes or until they form balls that do not crumble. Make 13-15 small balls with the milk solids.
- Meanwhile, add the sugar and water and melt the sugar in a low-medium flame.
- When the sugar melts, add 1/4 cup of rose milk syrup and stir it. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the cardamom powder and the dried rose petals and boil it for 5 minutes.
- Now strain the rose petals and place the vessel back on a low flame and add the kneaded chhena balls in the syrup. Cover and cook for 5 minutes and then turn off the flame.
- Keep the vessel covered and let it rest for 3-4 hours. The chhena balls would have doubled in size by then.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Do not add too much of lemon juice. Add more only if needed.
- Wash the curdled milk while straining with some ice cold water to stop the cooking process and also to remove the sourness of the lemon. Alternatively, you can also bring the ends of the cloth together and show it in some running tap water.
- Squeeze the excess water and let the milk solids rest in the muslin cloth for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Do not over cook the chhena as it might turn hard.
- Knead the chhena very well for about 10 minutes.
- Kneading plays a crucial part because if you do not knead well, then the chhena balls may break apart when dropped in sugar syrup.
- Make small balls of the chhena as they will double in size when dropped in the syrup.
- Adding dried rose petals is optional. I added for extra flavor. Alternatively, you can also add fresh paneer rose petals.
- Strain the rose petals before adding the chhena balls.
- Instead of cardamom powder, you can also add 3-4 crushed cardamoms.