Call it Rasgulla or Roshogolla, mithai, or a mishti, it will taste just as sweet. Not just the name, even the history of Rasgulla has been mired in controversy. As per the Bengalis, Nobin Chandra Das created the Rasgulla somewhere in the 17th century. The Portuguese had gotten Indians hooked onto cottage cheese. The pliability of this cottage cheese or channa, made the sweet-makers of Bengal think out of the box, and come up with a wide range of channa-based sweets in years to come. But not many of them had a breakthrough like the Rasgulla. Also perhaps, because Rasgulla was one of the first chenna-based sweet to be brought into the market, and it was practically the easiest sweet to make. As per the Odias, Rasgulla was born in Odisha, and that it was one of the items of the Mahaprasad or Bhog offered to Lord Jagannath of Puri. In 2017, When West Bengal got its Roshogolla's Geographical indication status, for the ‘Banglar Roshogolla’, it was claimed that the Bengali Roshogolla was much different from the Odia variant in terms of colour, texture, flavour and method of preparation, putting an end to the age-old tussle
Be it West Bengal, Orissa, Rajasthan or Russia, if I happen to find Rasgullas anywhere, I am sure to grab it pronto. Recently I learned just about how easy it is to make market-style Rasgullas at home. Provided you know the right tips and tricks. Yes, the process essentially entails dipping soft cottage cheese balls in sugar syrup, but these additional steps will ensure you make the softest and most flavourful rasgullas every time.
- To make market-like rasgullas, heat the milk until it is boiled and then add lime juice, to curdle the milk. Do not overheat the milk, the temperature need not reach 100 degrees celsius, about 80 degree is fine. It is a good idea to use cow milk for its perfect fat content.
- Keep running your spoon in the milk occasionally. When the milk is completely curdled, pour it in the muslin cloth and drain out the water. Do not toss this water.
- When you have solid chenna with you start adding other ingredients like flour or semolina to make a very soft dough. For this, you would need very soft chenna, so do not let your chenna harden like paneer, when you are draining the water. Make small balls of this dough.
- Boil water with sugar for 5 minutes to make sugar syrup, drop these balls in the sugar syrup and cook until they soak in all the sugary goodness. Should take roughly 15-20 minutes, may take more or less time depending upon the number of rasgullas.
- Once done, pour some rose water, and serve with syrup.
