Mini Rasgullas - with natural colouring

              I was reading an article on natural food colors just before making these mini rasgullas for diwali. The following natural ingredients were mentioned in that.

Yellow – Saffron, Turmeric

Pink – Beetroots

Purple – Purple cabbage

Green – Spinach

As I had beets and turmeric powder at hand, tested yellow and pink colors with the rasgullas and it turned out good.

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 litre

Curd – ½ cup

Ice cubes – 12 nos
Water -3 cups
Sugar – 2 cups
Elachi powder – a pinch
Nuts – For garnish

Method:

Boil the milk well and cool it. Once cooled remove the cream layer formed on the top of the milk. Heat the milk again. Once it is hot, simmer the flame and add the curd gradually. Keep stirring till the whey separates completely. Now switch off the stove. Add the ice cubes and mix well.

Tie the cloth to the sink tap and hang it for an hour without disturbing. After that, take the channa(crumbly paneer) and kneed it for 10-15 mins gently till it forms a smooth dough.
Pour the water in a wide pressure cooker, add the sugar & cardamom powder to it and bring it to a rolling boil. In the meantime, roll the channa into small equal sized balls. I got some 20 balls.

Once the sugar syrup has come to a boil, add the channa balls to it and close the pressure cooker. Cook in a medium flame till one whistle. After that, simmer the flame and cook for another 5 mins and switch off the stove.

Wait till the pressure is released and open the lid. The rasgullas would have doubled in size. Let it cool, refrigerate, garnish with nuts and serve chilled J

Cook’s Note:

1.Kneading the channa is an important process. It helps to make nice, firm rasgullas.

2. Once the rasgullas are cooked, you can remove them and just cook the syrup for one more whistle and then add the rasgullas if you prefer the syrup to be of  a thicker consistency.

This entry goes to Only - Diwali treats hosted @ Nivedhanam and created by Pari.