I love Indian food. Seriously - I love it. However, I'm lousy at cooking it and because my kids aren't exactly fond of it, I haven't tried much to improve my skills.
Except for Ros Malai.
Ros Malai is a fabulous dessert. It's homemade cheese balls wrapped around sugar cubes, cooked and soaked in sugar syrup with cardamom and bay, then transferred to a sweet milk sauce flavored with cardamom and saffron.
Deee-licious.
It's kind of a long process to make this. Not hard, particularly, but it's a process. And many dishes are involved.
But it's so, so worth it in the end.
This recipe comes from a family cookbook we use that is chock full of awesome recipes. Michael's stepmom compiled a bunch of family recipes, and this one is from her sister. Keep in mind that the pictures you see below are from a double batch. I'd recommend doing no more than a batch and a half in the same pot when you're cooking the cheese balls - they tend to stick together and you ruin a few when you do a double batch. Also, don't try to cut the fat in this recipe. It won't work. Just enjoy it in all it's full-fat glory.
- Ros Malai Recipe -
{Makes 18-20 cheese balls, serves 9-20. Prep time: 2 days.}
For the fresh cheese:
8 cups whole milk
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
Cheesecloth {found in the canning section of the grocery store}
For the cheese balls:
1 tsp Cream of Wheat
18-20 sugar cubes
For the cooking syrup:
1 cup sugar
6 cups water
For the soaking syrup:
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
4 cardamom pods
For the cream sauce:
4 cups whole or 2% milk or half and half
5 cardamom pods
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp unsalted raw cashews or almonds, ground to a coarse powder
1 tbsp shelled unsalted raw pistachios, ground to a coarse powder
1/2 tsp saffron, ground to a powder, mixed with 2 tsp warm water and allowed to stand for 10 minutes
Garnish: chopped or slivered unsalted raw pistachios
First make the fresh cheese:
Use a large, deep-sided pan. Lightly oil the bottom and sides to prevent the milk from sticking. Heat the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it does not stick to the bottom and that a skin does not form on the top. When milk comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
While the milk is heating, line a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and set the strainer over a bowl. I used 4 layers.
Also, while the milk is heating, set up your cheese press. Lay several layers of dish towels down, then a cutting board, then put a big pot half full of water on top of that.
When the milk is done cooking, stir in lemon juice, a little at a time until the milk separates into curds {channa} and thin, straw-colored whey. Remove from heat immediately so that the cheese doesn't harden. Do not add any more lemon juice than necessary - too much will make the cheese sour. If you've added all of the lemon juice and the liquid is still milky white, all the cheese has not separated yet. Keep the heat low and continue to stir.
Pour the milk and lemon mixture into the strainer with the cheesecloth.
Gather up the cheesecloth and tie a knot on the top to seal the cheese inside.
Put the cheese on top of the cutting board you prepared and put the pot of water on top of the cheese. Let the cheese rest under the pot for 20 minutes.
When it's done, you'll have a soft, doughy mass that can be kneaded and formed into the cheese balls you need for Ros Malai. Make sure it is well-drained. If it is too moist, it will crack when you cook it.
Once you take the cheese out of the cheesecloth, knead it until it is smooth and pliable, about 10 minutes. It should be moist but not watery. If it is the consistency of cream cheese, it won't work. You will need to use the cheese the same day you make it - it dries out and goes sour in the fridge.
Next make your cooking syrup. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a deep heavy bottom pan at least 10 inches in diameter. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat and keep warm. My syrup looks brown because I used organic cane sugar.
While the cooking syrup is being made, knead the Cream of Wheat into the cheese to uniformly incorporate it. Let it rest a few minutes.
While the cheese is resting, make your soaking syrup. Bring sugar, water, bay leaf and cardamom to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, then keep warm.
Next, make your cheese balls. Pinch off portions of your cheese and roll them into 1-inch balls.
Gently push your little finger about halfway into each ball. Put a sugar cube in the indentation and reshape into a smooth ball that doesn't show any cracks on the outside.
Raise the heat under the cooking syrup and bring to a gently bubbling simmer. Place each ball on a spoon and gently lower it into the syrup. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. The balls will expand slightly during cooking.
When the balls are cooked, remove them carefully with a slotted spoon and place them in the soaking syrup. Let it cool, then refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. By this time the balls will have absorbed some of the syrup and will be plump and juicy. You can serve them at this point if you like, but it will be Rosgolla rather than Ros Malai.
Ros Malai is easier to make with an assistant. Emmy is my chief spice tester.
Now, for the cream sauce.
Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a wide pan. Add milk and cardamom pods and bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat. Stir constantly until foaming subsides, then lower heat to medium. Cook until reduced to the consistency of whipping cream, 20-30 minutes, stirring it down each time it rises and foams. Stir frequently and scrape the bottom and sides to incorporate any accumulated milk solids into the liquid milk mixture. If any skin forms on the surface, gently stir it into the liquid as well. If you're using half and half, reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes.
Add sugar, cashews and pistachios.
Remove from heat and transfer sauce to a bowl. It will thicken more as it cools.
When cool, add saffron and refrigerate. The morning of the day you plan to serve this dessert, remove the cheese balls from the soaking syrup with a slotted spoon and put them in the cream sauce to soak.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to lift the cheese balls from the sauce. Pour some sauce on top and garnish with chopped or slivered pistachios.
