Spongy Soft Bengali Rasgulla / Rosogolla
History
Rasgulla is an Indian syrupy dessert popular in the Indian subcontinent and regions with South Asian diaspora. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings.
The dish originated in East India; the present-day states of Odisha and West Bengal have variously claimed to be its birthplace. In 2015, a committee formed by the government of Odisha asserted that the sweet had originated in Odisha, where it is offered at the Puri Jagannath Temple. In 2016, the West Bengal government applied for a Geographical Indications (GI) tag for the variant called "Banglar Rosogolla" (Bengali Rasgulla), clarifying that the Bengal and Odisha variants were different in "both in colour, texture, taste, juice content and method of manufacturing."
In 2017, when West Bengal got its Rosogolla's GI status, the Registry office of India clarified that West Bengal was given GI status for Banglar Rosogolla and Odisha can claim it too if they site the place of origin of their variant along with colour, texture, taste, juice content and method of manufacturing.
In 2018, Odisha government applied for GI status for "Odisha Rasagola" (Odia Rasgulla), which got approved by GI Registry of India and subsequently Odisha got its own Rasagola's GI status on 29 July 2019
Ingredients
I want to make Rasgullas / Rasogollas
Estimated Cooking time 30 minutes. In between there is a 2 hours of gap. So total time 2.5 hours
| Checklist | Ingredients | Quantity |
| Milk | Liter | |
| Vinegar | Table Spoon | |
| Green Cardamom | Piece | |
| Kewra / Orris water | Table Spoon | |
| Sugar | Cup | |
| Water | Cup |
☛ First heat full cream milk (preferably non pasteurized) in a container. When the milk starts boiling turn off the gas.
☛ On the other hand make a mixture of vinegar/lime juice with water in 1:1 ratio. That means vinegar and water amount should be same i.e. if you take 1 teaspoon of vinegar take 1 teaspoon of water.
☛ After 2-3 minute add the water and vinegar mix into the milk and stir it well. You will see the milk will start curdled up.
☛ When all cottage cheese gets separated properly from the milk , strain the cottage cheese from the curdled milk and wash it with plain water.
The reason of washing the cottage cheese is to remove any sour taste from the cottage cheese.
☛ Now take a clean cotton sheet and tie it tightly so that excess water comes out properly. Do not squeeze it too much which will lead to remove fat content from the cottage cheese.
☛ Now hang it for 2-3 hours to remove the excess water with the help of gravity naturally .
☛ After around 2 hours take big pan which has wide opening and hold good amount of water also deep enough so that when you boil the rasgulla that sinks completely.
☛ Take sugar and water in the pan . Sugar and water ratio will be 1:5. i.e If you take 1 cup sugar take 5 cup of water.
☛ Add crushed cardamom or cardamom powder and Kewra / Orris water in the water.
☛ Heat the sugar and water mix and let it boil first. When water starts boiling reduce the heat to low .
☛ Take the hanged cottage cheese in a plate. Smash it with hand for 15 minutes using hand . main intention is to make it very smooth and it should start releasing butter. Once it starts release the butter don't smash it more if all butter comes out rasgulla will break.
☛ Now make small balls from the smashed cottage cheese. Balls should be smooth on surface , there should not be any crack.
☛ Now increase the flame of the sugar syrup so that it comes to boil. Add the cottage cheese balls into the boiling syrup and cook it for 10 minuted with lid on .
☛ Now open the lid and reduce the heat to medium and boil it for another 5 minutes.
☛ Now cook it for 2 minute with lid on in low flame.
Yummy Spongy Rasogolla / Rasgulla is ready to serve.