How To Make Soft Rasmalai At Home
Jul 12, 2014, Updated Sep 10, 2021
Popular Indian Sweet - Indian Cottage Cheese Dumplings Soaked In Sweetened Thickened Milk Flavored With Saffron & Cardamom
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Rasmalai is my favorite Indian sweet by miles. As a kid I wasn’t very fond of sweets but Rasmalai was my absolute favorite. Maybe because it’s so delicious or maybe because we didn’t get to eat it that regularly compared to other sweets. Rasmalai is a royal sweet often served in weddings and eaten on special occasions. I already have a rasmalai recipe on my blog but I thought of making a separate post to talk about how to make perfectly soft rasmalais at home. I hope it will be of some help to the readers.
There are two parts to Rasmalai – the rasmalai balls and the thickened milk.
Rasmalai balls: To make rasmalai balls the milk is first boiled and and then curdled by adding lemon juice or vinegar. After draining the water from the curdled milk, the protein that is left is called the “chena” or “paneer”. The chena is then mashed till it becomes smooth. Small balls are then made from that chena and dropped in boiling sugar syrup till cooked.
The thickened milk or the ras: The rasmalai balls are finally dipped in thickened milk and chilled before serving. To make the “ras” [syrup] full fat milk is boiled till it thickens slightly. It is then flavored with saffron and cardamom.
So now that we know what rasmalai is let’s talk a bit about how you can make them perfectly at home. The biggest problem that people face while making rasmalai at home is that the rasmalai balls often turn out hard whereas they should be totally soft and in fact melt in your mouth – that’s when you know you have made the perfect rasmalai. During my trip to India this time I made it so many times that now I feel confident in sharing these little tips which will make sure that your rasmalais turn out perfectly every time.
I will talk about these tips as we go through the step by step picture for this recipe
Method
Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup of water to bring the temperature of the milk down a bit. Wait for 5-10 minutes and then start adding lemon juice till milk curdles.
Point No.1 : Use full cream/whole milk to make rasmalai. Low fat or fat free will not give good results. The rasmalai balls are nothing but milk fat so you need to use full fat milk for making this sweet.
Point No. 2: Don’t curdle the milk as soon as it comes to a boil. Add 1/2 cup water and wait for 5-10 minutes till the milk temperature comes down a bit. If you curdle the milk when it’s not “super hot”, the resulting chena will be softer.
Add lemon juice till the milk curdles completely. Using a strainer drain the water and collect the chena. Rinse it under tap water so that there’s no trace of lemon juice in it. Leave it in the strainer for 10-15 minutes and then take the chena in your hand and squeeze out remaining water slowly.
Point No. 3: Even though you have to squeeze out the water completely from the chena, make sure that it’s not completely dry. The chena should feel soft and moist even after you have squeezed out the water. So don’t press it too hard else it will become dry and resulting rasmalai balls will not be soft. This step is important so do leave little water in the chena so that it feels soft and moist when you mash it.
Add cornflour and start mashing the chena till it’s smooth. Set the clock to 10 minutes and mash constantly for 10 minutes using your palm. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it.
Point No. 4: Mash the chena for 10 minutes, the time is crucial so don’t try to cut it down. When the chena is smooth you should be able to make smooth balls out of it.
Point No. 5: The balls when dipped in sugar syrup double in size so make the balls accordingly. I got only 8-9 balls because I was trying to make big rasmalai balls. Usually I get 16-17 balls from 1 liter of milk but of course they are smaller in size.
Heat 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil. Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15-17 minutes. The balls will double in size by then. Take out the balls from the syrup and drop them in fresh water. If they sink to the bottom, the balls are done. They are always done by 15-17 minutes so you can skip this step if you want.
Point No. 6: Use a wide pan to cook the rasmalai balls. The balls double in size so there should be enough space in the pan for them to cook. Don’t overcrowd the pan with too many balls.
Point No. 7: The water to sugar ratio is 4:1. So for every 1 cup of sugar we add 4 cups of water. This ratio is important to get the right syrup consistency. Drop the balls in the syrup only when it comes to a full boil and the heat should be set to maximum throughout the duration of 15-20 minutes till the balls are cooking.
Point No. 8: If you feel the sugar syrup is getting thicker and balls are sticking to the bottom of the pan, then keep adding little water constantly. The balls should not touch the bottom of the pan. The syrup should always be thin in consistency. With 4:1 ratio, you will hardly need to add any water. That’s why I said this is the perfect ratio for maintaining the correct syrup consistency.
Point No. 9: Once the balls are cooked, let them cool down to room temperature. While the balls are cooling down make the thickened milk.
In a heavy bottom pan, boil 500 ml of milk. Soak few strands of saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk and set aside.
Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the flame and continue to stir the milk at regular intervals. After 10 minutes add sugar and mix.
After 20-25 minutes the milk will thicken to desired consistency, add soaked saffron and crushed cardamom. Also add finely chopped pistachios [if using]. Mix and switch off the flame.
Take out the cooled down rasmalai balls from the fresh water bowl. Squeeze and flatten lightly using your hands and put in sugar syrup for around 10-15 minutes [so that they absorb the sugar] before transferring them to milk. Squeeze the balls carefully as they are very soft and can break easily. I like to flatten the rasmalai at this stage rather than flattening them in the beginning. I feel they get cooked evenly in the sugar syrup when the balls are round in shape.
You can let the balls cool down in sugar syrup itself and then you can skip this step and transfer the balls directly to milk.
After 10-15 minutes transfer the balls to thickened milk. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios and few saffron strands before serving.
Point No. 10: The milk should be warm when you add the rasmalai balls to it. So the balls should cool down to room temperature but the milk should be warm.
Enjoy soft melt in your mouth rasmalai!
* Use real cardamom pods to get the crushed powder. Do not use the ready made cardamom powder that we get in stores, it doesn’t have the same taste as the real one.
* Rasmalai taste best when chilled overnight. Also the balls soak the milk and all flavored get intermixed well in 8-10 hours. So to serve the next day, make them a day in advance.
I hope these 10 tips help in making you the perfect soft rasmalai at home.
How To Make Soft Rasmalai At Home
Ingredients
For the rasmalai balls
- 1 liter whole milk
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
For the ras [syrup]
- 500 ml whole milk
- 5-6 green cardamom pods peeled and crushed to get the powder
- saffron a pinch
- 3-4 tablespoons sugar
- finely chopped pistachios
Instructions
Rasmalai Balls
- Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan.Once it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and add 1/2 cup of water to bring the temperature of the milk down a bit.
- Wait for 5-10 minutes and then start adding lemon juice till milk curdles.
- Add lemon juice till the milk curdles completely.
- Using a strainer drain the water and collect the chena.
- Rinse it under tap water so that there's no trace of lemon juice in it.
- Leave it in the strainer for 10-15 minutes and then take the chena in your hand and squeeze out remaining water slowly.
- Add cornflour and start mashing the chena till it’s smooth.
- Set the clock to 10 minutes and mash constantly for 10 minutes using your palm. Once it’s smooth, make small balls out of it.
- Heat 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a wide pan and wait till it comes to a full boil. Drop the balls in boiling sugar syrup and cook for 15-17 minutes. The balls will double in size by then. Take out the balls from the syrup and drop them in fresh water. If they sink to the bottom, the balls are done. They are always done by 15-17 minutes so you can skip this step if you want.
Thickened Milk
- In a heavy bottom pan, boil 500 ml of milk.
- Soak few strands of saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk and set aside.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, lower the flame and continue to stir the milk at regular intervals. After 10 minutes add sugar and mix.
- After 20-25 minutes the milk will thicken to desired consistency, add soaked saffron and crushed cardamom.
- Also add finely chopped pistachios [if using]. Mix and switch off the flame.
- Take out the cooled down rasmalai balls from the fresh water bowl. Squeeze and flatten lightly using your hands and put in sugar syrup for around 10-15 minutes [so that they absorb the sugar] before transferring them to milk. Squeeze the balls carefully as they are very soft and can break easily. I like to flatten the rasmalai at this stage rather than flattening them in the beginning. I feel they get cooked evenly in the sugar syrup when the balls are round in shape.
- Transfer the balls to thickened milk [milk should be warm].
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachios and few saffron strands before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Rasmalai at Home
Hi
I tried few recipes before but never got success. This time time I used your mathod and got the desired result. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I think process of making chhena is the most important step in case of rasmalai which you mentioned properly.
awesome! Glad you liked it Nitin!
Hi instead of kesar can i use food colour….incase food colour what the process of mixing it
you can. Add it to the milk when you are boiling it to make the chena if you want the rasmalai balls to be yellow colored. If you want the “ras” (thickened milk) to have yellow color, then add color to the milk when you are boiling it. I would recommend adding kesar though, it not only gives color but also flavor/taste.
Hi
I tried rasamalai for nearly 4 times everything came right but the sweetness in the paneer balls are not enough…. can I add some sugar while kneading the Chena?
yes you may!
Hi, Indrani here. I have tried rasgullas several times…. But this recipe seems to be the BEST!! I have followed all your instructions and they turned out perfect. Thanks a lot my dear friend
Welcome Indrani! I am glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Hi,
I have not washed the chena at first place. Hope it does not harm
Hi Priscilla. Do you mean you did not wash the chena after adding lemon? You need to else the chena will taste sour which will effect the taste of rasmalai.
Dear Manali,
do we have to cook the balls for 20minutes in sugar syrup in low flame?
medium-high flame for 15 minutes should be good Meenakshi!
I tried your recipe twice… But after I add lemon juice and strain the chena… The Chena has become really soft and difficult to knead…it’s almost like a paste…it’s become creamy… I followed your exact instructions.. After the milk boiled I switched off the flame n added water…waited for 5 mins and added lemon juice.. What could be wrong…
Hiba your chena has too much moisture. Do one thing squeeze the water and tie it in a muslin cloth and let the chena hang for 30 minutes before you start mashing it. When I said it should have little moisture I meant it shouldn’t be extremely dry to touch but of course you need to get rid of most of the moisture from the chena. Hope that helps!
Made these over the weekend and they r just superb. First time making rasmalai ever! This beats the store bought hands down any day. Worth every bit of effort. Thank u so much for ur detailed descriptions and step by step pictures as well as all ur tips. The came out just perfect. Very grateful!
Prashanti, I am really glad to hear that! 🙂 You are welcome, keep cooking!
Hi manali,please help,when I putted balls in sugar syp all rubtured.what was fault and what to do..
Pratima, you did not drain enough moisture from the chena that’s why it all disintegrated in the syrup. Squeeze it really well. You can tie it for 15-20 minutes in a muslin cloth and then squeeze it. Also make to sure to knead the chena well, till dough is smooth, around 8-10 minutes. This step is extremely important. Now what you can do it, cook these balls with some milk and sugar and eat it as paneer kheer! hope that helps!
Thanks..but I used muslin cloth for 20 min to clear off water.
Hmm then I wonder why this happened Pratime because excess moisture can only cause this. Don’t worry, try again..it takes some time to get it right 🙂
Hi I tried rad malai today. .But ras is very thick and creamy so what should I do ..can I add boiled milk in to it
Yes Nisha, add more milk and bring it to a boil!
Thanks manali
Hi,
Why does rasmalai go hard after a while when I refrigerate it? it was soft first but once it got refrigerated it becomes hard.
hmm that shouldn’t happen Sanfar. May guess is you overcooked the rasmalai balls. Next time try not to completely squeeze out all the water from the chena before mashing it and cook for 5 minutes less. Each gas is different so you have to adjust the timings accordingly sometimes.
It’s a wonderful recipe my family loves it a lot☺☺☺
Thanks Meghna, glad you all enjoy it!
Thnqq soo much Manali …Rasmalai is my fav dish..i tried ur recipie today..and it was amazing…?
Welcome Jass! I am glad you liked it 🙂
Hi manali madam it is very nice resepi I will try it today
Hi manali I think I did not squeeze out enough water from the chena so I can’t make the balls.. what do I do?
you can kheer out of it, simply thicken the milk, add sugar, cardamom powder, nuts and the crumbled chena…your paneer kheer will be ready!
Can we use paneer directly instead of making chenna
Hmm you may but I would not recommend it. Rasmalai and rasgulla should always be made with fresh chena!
Reply to annie is you can replace it with almonds. Manali i wanted to ask can we freeze rasgullas at some point in this recipe?
I have never tried freezing rasgullas Shafaq. But it might work, freeze in a wide container! and let me know how it turns out!
wonderful recipe…i wanted to know that by which ingredient can i replace the pistachios…..as i dont like pistachios
Hi Aanie, you can totally skip pistachios or use any other nut of your choice!
HiManali thanku for this awesome recipe.Today made this rasmali it was great n just looked like ur recipe n without saffron,was first time in my life m also still surprised how it was possible.Main thing is making rasgulla it was awesome followed step by step what u mentioned here.Thanks a lot.
Mamita, I am so happy to hear that! 🙂 You are welcome!
Thanks alot fr the great recipe
I used the same milk, just gave a boil in morning and it curdled. Everything turned out to b perfect. Only that i felt a little lemon taste in rasmalai
next time, just rinse the chena more a little more time so that there’s no lemon taste remaining.
Hi manali, i am soooo glad to tell you that my rasmalai turned out to be superb, awesome. Everyone loved it. It so soft and appearance wise also perfect.
I am very happy to hear that Shafaq, thanks for letting me know 🙂
I put the uncurdled milk in frigde,with lemon juice in it. can i try to curdle it again once i get more lemons or vinegar? or should i take new milk. I dont like wasting things
I think you should curdle this milk with vinegar and use it to make any paneer sabzi or paneer paratha. Get new milk for rasmalai and curdle it with lemon or yogurt. In my experience, milk when curdled with lemon or yogurt is best for rasmalai. The chena remains soft that way. When we curdle it with vinegar, the chena is little on the harder side and perfect to make paneer ! I hope that helps!
The milk dint curdle after adding 5 tablespoons of lemon juice. What to do? I dont hav more lemons now
hmm add yogurt or vinegar! it might do the trick!
Can we use maida instead of cornflour?
no! you can just skip the cornflour if you don’t have it.
Hi! I tried the recipe and it was perfect. But I have a few questions.
1. I used the same amount of ingridients my chena was not enough to make 16-17 small balls. They were small and I could make only 9 balls . What could be the possible reason you think?
2. I kept on kneading it for 10 mins but it was still very very greasy and difficult to handle, I had to use oil to make balls do they don’t stick to my hands and despite of that it did stick. Is it like that or different. Balls didn’t break neither they were hard. Just a lot greasy chena
Hi Wafa! Oh that’s strange..if you got only 9 balls, they should be big. You get 16-17 if you intend to make smaller rasmalais. I hope you used whole milk and it curdled completely so that you got enough chena. The second question, I think you should have squeezed the chena a bit more. Just put some heavy thing over it for 15-30 minutes next time and then knead.
yeah I used full fat unhomogenized milk. The chena was less. And what about kneading or doing it in the food processor? Can we do that and if so then how long should we process? But whatever not a single ball break and the end results were completly Ok. tried it for the first time and it was yummy.
you can definitely knead it using a food processor wafa, should work!
Manali,
I rarely comment on food sites. The reason I’m doing so now is to compliment — and thank you — for your crystal clear instructions; the tips and options you provided (of skipping the test-whether-the-balls-are-cooked step and leaving them in the syrup); and the patient and courteous way you’ve replied to every query.
This morning, I screwed up the courage to try my hand at ras malai, following your recipe faithfully. Right now, the little round balls are chilling in the fridge in cardamom-flavored milky ras. I’m dying to sample them, but have decided to be good and wait for another few hours so they get a really good soaking. I hope they turn out soft and delicious. They certainly look lovely. Will let you know how they turn out tomorrow.
In any case, many thanks and more power to you!
Hello! Thank you so much for you comment, I really appreciate it. This really encourages me to keep going! 🙂 Hope you like the rasmalais!
Hi,
after we have cooked the balls in sugar syrup for 20 min, we have to take them out of the syrup for cooling or let them b in syrup? If l do water test with one ball only, will that b ok or is it that dipping in water increases sponginess?
Hello! You don’t really need to take them out for cooling. They will be fine in the syrup. I only recommended that step if you want to test if the balls are done or not.
I also try ur paneer tikkha masala receipe its really awesome…tasty ..thnks for receipe
Okk.. i will try it again with ur tips. But i wana ask u…tht i had cook ball with cover the lid of pan..is it ok or this process is wrong
It’s okay to cover with lid, shouldn’t make much difference!
I tried this receipe 2 times, but my rasmalai balls are not cook properly inside..wht i did mistake..
I cook balls with cover the dish.. once it cooked tht time its soft, after they cooldown it become hard..
Hi Ashwini! Sorry you are facing problems with this recipe. When you make the rasmalai balls, cook them immediately in water and then place them in the milk with in 5 minutes after they are cooked. Do not keep the balls exposed to air for long. Also, make sure the milk in not super hot or super cold when you add the balls to it. The milk should be lukewarm. Work with light hands, do not apply too much pressure while making the balls. And make sure that you squeeze the water from the chena but it should still be little moist to touch. If it’s too dry your rasmalai will be hard. Try again, you will get it right!
Can I use the paneer that we get from the market???(the loose one)
Hi Kartik! I am not sure..you should stick with fresh chena (paneer)!
We can use in place of baking poweder related anotherthing.if baking poweder is not available.
Hmm I am not sure why you want to use baking powder here? It’s not mentioned in the recipe!
mam corn flour k badle aur kuch use kersakhte hai n lime juice milane k bad KB tk curdle hoga milk
mam corn flour k badle aur kuch use kersakhte hai
Hi Sanna..just skip the flour if you can’t find it.
Hey manali i tried the receipe. It was yammmmmy. Thank you so much.
Welcome Seema, glad you liked!
I tried it out today..It was awesome..It came out really well..thank u for ur tips. Well drafted recipe. .
Glad to hear that Jemima! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
thank u manali…
you are welcome jayshree!
I just tried this. and it came out PERFECTLY! Both the balls and the saffron milk were of perfect consistency and taste! thank you 😀
Welcome Shiela! Thanks for the positive feedback!
Hi Manali, i made this yesterday. When i cooked the round malais, they were soft. I let them cool off by removing them with a slotted spoon from the syrup and put them in a bowl to cool. then i added the hot ras on top.However, the malais were still a little firm and did not soak up the sweetness of the milk. Where did i go wrong?
Hi Jay! I think the rasmalai balls might not have cooled down properly or the ras was too hot. Basically the balls should cool down and then dipped in lukewarm ras, [not hot] so that they soak the syrup. A lot of times hard rasmalai is the result of over-squeezing the chena. Always squeeze the water from the chena well enough but it should never feel dry to touch. Chena should feel little moist when you knead it. And it does take some time to get this right so even if you didn’t get it this time, I am sure you will ace it the next time! 🙂
Thanks for your response. Yes. I did had to reboil the ras as i made it the day before i made the malai. And once or boiled i added it to the cold malai. I guess that made the malais hard. Apart from that, my paneer was soft and creamy when kneaded. Thanks heaps. Shall no doubt try again. Cheers
I do not get cornflour. What i use instead of it?
Hi Himani, you can use cornstarch in place and if you don’t even get that just skip it!
Hy Manali,
I tried it and its yummy but i want to ask u something.
When these ball are cooked in sugar syrup after that it is necessary to keep these balls in the syrup for cooling beacuse i did the same but there spongeness reduced.
Secondly, when i make rabdi or ras its not getting so much thick and also the layer of malai is made on it.
Hi Himani, I am glad it turned out well! Once the rasmalai is done, you can transfer it to a bowl of fresh water. But yes they do need to cool down before you put them in the ras. And the ras isn’t supposed to very thick, it is not rabdi. The ras for rasmalai is slightly thickened milk so don’t confuse it with rabdi. Also make sure the ras is lukewarm when you drop the balls into it. You keep stirring the milk after every 2 minutes so that there’s no layer of malai.
Hi Manali,
I have been checking out a lot of recipes for this desert, but yours is in so detail and covers all the dos & don’ts. I am sure, they would come out more soft and tasty. Appreciate your patience with giving us this recipe. I will try it Inshaa Allah, and let you know! z:)
Zainah (beautiful name by the way!), I am happy to hear that you find this post helpful! Good luck and let me know how the rasmalais turn out 🙂
Hai,
I tried Rasamalai at home and it was so yummy and so soft to eat. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the feedback, glad it turned out well! 🙂
Surely will try this rcp..bt wnted to ask tht aftr dropping into boiling sugar syrup n thn hv to drop thm in fresh water…do i hav to put thm again in sugar syrup or directly to warm milk?
You can skip the step of dropping them in fresh water, that’s just to check if the balls are done. Yes if do this step, you need to put the balls in the sugar syrup again. Hope this helps!
Hi
I just tried this rasmalia but unfortunately the balls have become very soft after taking out from the water they started breaking i kept them fridge.plz help
Hey, I guess you did not squeeze the water enough from the paneer. Are the balls cooked now? If yes drop them in the milk and keep in the refrigerator. It’s okay if they break a little, they will still taste good.
Manali,I tried the rasmalai recipie today but they were very soft.sab much chashni me bikhar gaya.what could be the fault?
Kuch
Hi Rashmi! Sorry to hear that, I think you might not have squeezed enough water from the chena. Please try again and I am sure you will get it right the next time!
I am not great cook, this was first item I ever tried, following step by step and this turns out to be fun and very creative.
I liked all details in your recipe for Rasmalai, again thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much Hitesh for sharing your feedback, glad you like the recipe! 🙂
Wonderful recipe!! 🙂 What if i want to make sugar free ras malai? can i use diet sugar instead of normal sugar? will there be any difference in quantity?
Please reply. thankss
Hi Sumaira, Thanks so much! as far as your question is concerned, I am not sure because I have never tried making rasmalai with diet sugar. I would say give it a try and see how it goes! Replace the regular sugar with the diet sugar and let me know how it turns out, good luck 🙂
I like to clear 2 points from your goodself:-
1. How much corn flour to be added with “chena” of 500 ml milk?
2. Can i skip the step of dropping the rash-malai balls in fresh water if i boil it for right 20 minutes.
Hello there! 🙂
1. The amount of cornflour is mentioned in the printable recipe in the end. It is 1 teaspoon.
2. Yes you can skip that step! I do it just to test if the balls have cooked.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Its wonderful recipie but plz tell if from sugar syp i directly put the rasmalai balls directly into milk without pressing them with hand its ok.i feared if i press them even gently it may break
Hi Saira, yes you can do that! But pressing allow the balls to soak the milk syrup..just press gently they do not break!
Simply love it…looks so delicious… Gonna try it soon
Thank you, let me know how it turns out 🙂
very nice manali…its so easy…but tell me one thing how many tablespoon of sugar is needed for thickened milk.
Hi Divya! 3-4 tablespoons of sugar should be sufficient in the thickened milk. You can adjust it to to taste. The quantity of each ingredient is listed in the recipe. Hope that helps!
can i make rasmalai balls without cornflour?… want to make it for janmashtami vrat
yes u can, skip the cornflour!
hey, can i make rasmalai balls without using cornflour???