Paan ki Rasmalai

Rasmalai is a Bengali dessert which is very popular throughout India. The name translates to "Juicy cream". Paan ki Rasmalai has an additional taste of Betel leaf.

Rasmalai is Rasgulla soaked in creamy milk. Rasgulla is the disc shaped sweet which is taken without soaking in creamy milk.

Ingredients:

• Paneer (Cottage cheese)
• Saffron induced milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 + 1/2 cup
• Gulkand (Sweet preserve of rose petals)
• Almonds - randomly chopped
• Betel leaf - 1
• Clove - 1
• Cardamom - 1
• Maida/ All purpose flour - 1 spoon
• Rawa/ Semolina - 1 spoon

Preparation of Rasgulla:

• Knead paneer thoroughly till it becomes very soft. Add 1 spoon of rawa/ semlina while kneading.

• Make it into a tube and cut into equal pieces. Then make small balls out of it.

• Using hand, flatten then to small discs and keep it in a plate dusted with maida/ all-purpose-flour.

• Grate or finely chop the betel leaf/ paan and keep aside.

• Take a cooking pan and boil 2 and a half cups of water. Once it boils, add 1 cardamom, 1 clove and 1 cup of sugar and stir well. Sugar syrup is ready.

• Now bring the flame to low and slowly drop the rasgulla discs to the sugar syrup. Be careful to not get the rasgullas sticking to each other.

• Close it with a lid and let it cook in low flame for 15-20 mins and switch off.
• Let the rasgullas be in sugar syrup for an hour.

Preparation of creamy milk (malai):

• Take a cooking pan and boil the saffron induced milk.
• Add half cup of sugar and mix well.

• Keep stirring till the milk reduces to half and switch off the flame.

• Milk would have become creamy by now. Let it cool down for 15 mins.

Preparation of Paan ki Rasmalai:

• Take the rasgullas and squeeze out excess sugar syrup from them.
• Once the creamy milk has cooled down, add the rasgullas to the malai (creamy milk).
• Top it with a very small spoon of gulkand.
• Garnish with chopped almonds (pistachios as well if you have) and the grated Paan (betel leaf).
• Refrigerate for 5 mins. 

This dessert will taste it's best when served cold. Enjoy!