Ras Malai

Ingredients:

8 cups- Milk, divided
2 tbsp. Lemon juice or Citric acid

Pinch of Baking powder
5 cups- Water
1 cup- Sugar
A pinch- Saffron
¼ tsp. Cardamom Powder
½ cup- Pistachios, chopped

Sugar for the Ras, to taste

Method:

1. Boil 4 cups milk in a non-stick pan.

2. The milk in the non-stick pan needs to be reduced to half the quantity so once it comes to a boil, keep the flame low and keep cooking while stirring occasionally.

3. Add saffron to the milk while boiling.

4. Boil the remaining 4 cups milk in a steel pan.

5. Once the milk in the steel pan comes to a rolling boil, slowly add lemon juice.
6. When the milk curdles (paneer), switch off the stove and strain the paneer in a muslin cloth or cheese cloth.
7. Pour a little cold water over the paneer and hang the cheese cloth on the tap for approx 30 minutes to remove all of the liquid.
8. Remove the paneer from the cheese cloth and run it through a food processor with baking powder to smooth it out.

9. Divide the paneer into 10 equal portions a little smaller than the size of a ping pong ball.
10. Roll the portions in your hands until a smooth ball is formed. Lightly press the ball until it flattens out.
11. In the nonstick pan with water, dissolve 1 cup sugar, when the water is boiling add the flattened paneer. Cook for about 12-15 minutes on medium high flame.
12. Carefully remove the cooked paneer with a slotted spoon into a bowl and allow it to cool.
13. Meanwhile, the milk in the non-stick pan should have reduced to half. Add sugar to taste, cardamom powder and half of the pistachios. Switch off the stove and keep milk aside.
14. Once the paneer is cool, gently squeeze out the sugar syrup from the paneer and place the paneer into a serving dish.
15. Pour the prepared reduced milk over the paneer and chill in the refrigerator.
16. Garnish with remaining chopped pistachios and serve.