Rasgulla — Spongy Chhana Sweet in Syrup

Name: Rasgulla — Spongy Chhana Sweet in Syrup
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients: 2 l Full fat milk; 60 ml lemon juice or vinegar; 500 g Sugar; 1.5 l Water; 10 g All-purpose flour; 5 ml rose water

Soft, spongy balls of fresh chhana cooked in light sugar syrup until they double in size — Bengal's most famous sweet, historically linked to Kolkata's confectioners.

🇮🇳India· West Bengal

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Hard
Calories: 150 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

2 l Full fat milk
60 ml lemon juice or vinegar — diluted in water, for curdling
500 g Sugar — for syrup
1½ l Water — for syrup
10 g All-purpose flour — optional, for binding chhana
5 ml rose water

Equipment

•Muslin cloth
•Wide heavy pot

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 150 kcal
fat: 3 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 150 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring the milk to a boil, then lower the heat. Slowly stir in the diluted lemon juice until it splits into chhana (soft cheese curds) and liquid.
2
Pour the curdled milk through a muslin cloth to strain it. Rinse the chhana under cold running water to wash away any sourness.
3
Hang the cloth with the chhana for 30 minutes to drain the liquid. It should be moist but not dripping.
4
Knead the chhana on a clean surface for 8–10 minutes until completely smooth. Add the flour if it feels too soft.
5
Divide the mixture into equal small portions. Roll each piece into a smooth ball with no cracks.
6
Mix the sugar and water in a wide pot until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a rapid, bubbling boil.
7
Gently drop the balls into the boiling syrup and cover. Cook on high heat for 12–15 minutes, keeping the syrup boiling fast so they puff.
8
Turn off the heat once the rasgullas double in size and turn spongy. Leave them to cool in the syrup.
9
Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. This allows the sweets to soak up all the syrup.

Chef's tips

Knead the chhana thoroughly until completely smooth to prevent cracking. Keep the syrup at a strong, rapid boil throughout cooking so the balls puff up properly.