Ras Malai
Serves 4 - 5
Suitable for: Vegetarians and those on a gluten free diet
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus time for making paneer
Cooking time: 40 minutes Chilling time: 6 hours
A very popular dish for festive occasions
Ingredients:
200g paneer
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornflour
For water syrup:
200g granulated sugar
800ml water
¼ teaspoon of crushed green cardamom seeds
For the ras malai (milk syrup):
500ml whole milk
60g granulated sugar
¼ - ½ teaspoon of crushed green cardamom seeds
10g sliced pistachios
pinch saffron strands
Method:
Place 200g of paneer in a bowl and knead for about 3 -5 minutes until it is smooth. Add the arrowroot and knead for a couple more minutes to incorporate.
divide the kneaded paneer into 8 - 10 balls each weighing c. 20g
knead each ball in the palm of one hand using the fingers of the other hand to form a ball, flatten slightly to form thick ‘discs’ and keep aside. Repeat with remaining balls
Pour 800ml of water in a large, wide pan (paneer ‘discs’ with increase in size during this process), add 200g of sugar. Dissolve the sugar and bring syrup to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat a touch ensuring the syrup is continues to boil.
Add the paneer ‘discs’ to the syrup gently, cover the pan and allow the rolling water to cook the paneer for 15 minutes. Half way through, gently stir the syrup around the paneer ‘discs’ taking care to avoid touching the discs themselves as these will crumble..
In the mean time make the milk syrup (malai). Pour the milk into a pan and heat. Place 4 tablespoon of warm milk in a bowl with a few strands of saffron, mix and keep aside. Add the crushed cardamoms and bring the rest of the milk to the boil and boil gently for 10 minutes.
When the paneer discs are cooked, remove them gently and place them in a flat bottomed bowl together with some of the syrup and allow to cool
Going back to the milk syrup, add the sugar and continue boiling for a further 10 minutes. Add the saffron infused milk and most of the sliced pistachios keeping some aside to garnish. Boil for a further 5 minutes.
Lift one of the cooked paneer ‘discs’ out of the syrup, gently squeeze between two spatulas to allow excess syrup to run off. Place the disc in another flat bottomed bowl. Repeat with the remaining discs in the syrup and arrange them into the bowl.
Pour over the milk syrup, garnish with the remaining sliced pistachios, allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Serve and enjoy.