Ingredients:
1 litre cow milk (low fat),
2 tsp white vinegar or 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1 cup water,
1 flat tbsp cornflour,
Few strands of kesar (saffron),
4 drops rose essence,
3 cups sugar,
4 cups water.
Method:
Heat milk in a vessel and bring to boil. When milk boils add vinegar and keep stirring with a spoon. Milk now starts curdling, remove from heat and use a strainer to separate the curdled milk from water. This curdled milk is know as paneer or cottage cheese. Now place this paneer in a thin muslin cloth, twist the cloth tightly to drain out the excess water, tie a knot to this cloth and hang it for an hour. Then remove the paneer from the cloth and put it in a grinder. Add cornflour to it and grind it for 10 secs. Transfer the paneer to a plate, add saffron threads and knead well. Make very small balls (as they will puff up when cooked). Meanwhile in a pressure pan/cooker, mix sugar and water and bring to boil. The sugar syrup is now ready. Put the gullas or balls (dumplings) into this sugar syrup, cover with lid and pressure cook upto 1 whistle, then reduce the heat and switch off the flame after a minute. When pressure drops open the lid, but let the rasgullas rest and cool down. Later transfer to the serving bowl. Add rose essence and then refrigerate before serving.
TIP:
1. Avoid lemon juice in preparation of paneer in this recipe as it gives a bitter taste to the rasgullas. But if you wish to use lemon juice then make it a point to wash the paneer with cold water twice or thrice before you tie it up in the muslin cloth. This would rinse off the lemon juice.
2. Always use fresh paneer for preparing rasgullas or for that matter any Bengali sweet.