Ras Malai

Ras malai...mmm...the word itself is a treat to ears :) Ever thought of making it at home?? and then cut your thoughts thinking its very difficult and elaborate? No problem, there is a easy way out. Though it is a little long process, the taste you relish will make you cook this again and again. Here is what you'll need -

Ingredients -
One litre of whole Milk, divided into 2 equal portions
2 cups Sugar
10-15 Almonds and Pistachios chopped
3 cups Water
2 pinches of Cardamom powder
3 tbsp of Lime juice
1 tbsp Maida
1 pinch Kesar

Method -
1. Take one portion of the milk and keep it for boiling on low flame in a thick-bottomed pan. We will call this 'Ras'.
2. Add 1 cup of sugar to it and keep stirring it frequently, so that it doesn't catch at the bottom.
(This has to be reduced to half the quantity)
3. For the paneer, heat the second half portion of milk. When the milk is boiling, add lime juice little by little with stirring, so that the milk splits. When you see the greenish-yellow curd like liquid, stop adding lime juice.
4. Strain this split milk through a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the liquid. Allow the paneer to rest till it becomes cool.
5. Knead this paneer thoroughly for about 10 minutes so that all the granules of the paneer is mashed. Keep kneading until the entire mixture forms a ball.
6. Now add 1 tbsp pf maida into the paneer and need it into a smooth dough. (Kneading of paneer to soften the granules is a very important step, since the texture of your rasmalai depends on this)
7. After the dough rests for 10 minutes, make small patties out of it.
8. Meanwhile, add 3 cups of water and remaining 1 cup of sugar in a pressure cooker and let it dissolve.
9. Add the paneer patties into the cooker and cook in covered for 1 whistle.
10. When the pressure is down, the paneer patties in sugar syrup should have increased in size.
11. Now when the milk of Ras is reduced to half of its original quantity, add cardamom powder, kesar, chopped nuts.
12. Allow it to cool down and refrigerate for half an hour.
13. Just before serving, gently squeeze out sugar syrup from the patties and add them into the Ras.
14. Rasmalai tastes better when served chilled with some more chopped nuts added for garnishing :)