Rasabali (Deep fried cottage cheese balls served with thickened milk)

Indian dessert definitely requires an elaborate procedure, but results are worth trying. I really love to make those elaborate desserts when there is a festival or a dinner party. Rasabali is one of my favorite dessert and all time hit with my friends and folks. It belongs to my native place Orissa and is loved and adored immensely.

This recipe was shared by my Mother in law who is a fabulous cook. On our son’s naming ceremony we had a gathering of few families at our place. We decided to go for a caterer. My mother in law who is always in high spirits when it comes to festive cooking insisted to make at least the dessert of our own. Hands up! I had nothing else to say. Desserts ! but why, when it is so easily available in the market. Anyway I decided not to object her decision and rather help her as instructed. Believe me the rasabali's she made were amazing no where comparable to what we get from the halwais (sweet vendor). As a result I got to know the process of this delicious and very tempting dessert.

On last Diwali I decided to make this dessert and shared it with my friends.

Here goes the recipe

Ingredients
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1 cup chenna from fresh milk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon semolina

2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cardamon powder

For thickened milk
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1 1 /2 litre full fat milk

1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk powder

few strands of saffron

nuts and cardamon for garnishing

Oil for deep frying.

Boil the milk and simmer on a medium fire in a heavy bottom vessel. Make a paste of milk powder with few tablespoons of milk and add to the above milk. keep stirring on a low fire. Add sugar to the boiling milk. Stir continuously on a low fire so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of vessel. Cook until the milk is reduced to half the amount. It takes approxmately 45 mintues to hour.

Squueze the excess water and mash the chenna thoroughly, add semolina, baking soda, sugar and cardamom powder. knead gently, make small balls and slightly flattened them.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them on a low fire. Drain excess oil from the chenna balls on a absorbent paper. Care should be taken not to over fry them.

Add them to the boiling milk. Simmer for 2 minutes and switch of the fire. Let it cool down . Garnish it with Cardamon powder and nuts.

Serve warm. It is soft and really delectable.