Rasmalai is a traditional Indian dessert. These spongy, light dumpling-like balls are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth and who loves homemade desserts. When you make these for your family, they will absolutely love this mouthwatering dessert.
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What is Rasmalai?
Rasmalai, ras malai, or rasmalai are dessert balls that came from India. They are spongy little pastries made with fresh milk cheese, flour, sugar, and seasonings. Rasmalai is the perfect dessert to follow nearly any traditional Indian meal. People with a sweet tooth will really love this delicious recipe.
Video Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
Rasmalai is a traditional Indian dessert that uses homemade cheese and corn flour to make delicious, melt in your mouth balls soaked in a simple syrup. These balls are well worth the time you have to wait for them to be ready.
These balls are also incredibly delicious, especially compared to hack versions out there. If you have tried a rasmalai hack, the real deal will blow you away with its flavor and amazing end result.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need three sets of ingredients to make rasmalai in the Instant Pot.
First, for the rasmalai balls, you’ll need:
- Whole milk
- Distilled vinegar
- Water
- Corn flour
Then, for the ras or syrup, you’ll need:
- Whole milk
- Spices- Cardamom powder and saffron. For more about these spices, check out our complete Indian Spice Guide.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar
- Chopped pistachios and slivered or sliced almonds - You can skip these if you are allergic or don’t like nuts.
- Dried fruit
Lastly, for the garnish, you’ll need:
- Dried rose petals
- Pistachios and almonds
How to make
- First, combine the vinegar and water in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next, place a bowl with a strainer on top. Line it with muslin cloth or cheesecloth and set aside.
- When ready, pour the milk into the Instant Pot, secure the lid, and select yogurt mode. Keep this on until it shows "Boil”.
- Once the milk has boiled, select “Cancel", open the lid, and stir the milk.
- Next, add the vinegar in batches and stir. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes until all whey and milk solids are separated. The best way to tell it is ready is that the milk turns green in color.
- When the milk is ready, use a strainer to drain the water and collect the paneer or chena. Keep the paneer in the strainer and pour some cold water over it to help remove the vinegar.
- Next, gather the ends of the muslin cloth and squeeze it tight to remove all the excess water. Once the water has drained, tie a knot and place it in the strainer or hang it somewhere to allow the excess water to drip off completely for 1 hour.
Make the rasmalai balls
- Once the cheese has dried, add the corn flour to the paneer or chena and knead it gently by using the heels of your hands for 5 minutes or until it is smooth.
- Next, divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal sized balls. Give the dough a round shape and then flatten it out by gently pressing in between your palms. As you press, make sure there are no cracks.
- Once the balls are ready, press sauté on your Instant Pot and add 2 cups of milk, cardamom powder, saffron and 6 tablespoon of sugar and give it a stir.
- When the sugar dissolves, add the paneer balls and secure the lid with the valve in sealing position. Next, select high pressure mode for 10 minutes and follow the cook time by a natural pressure release.
- Then, carefully open the lid and pour the evaporated milk and gently stir.
- Finally, add in the saffron and chopped dry fruit. Transfer the contents to a bowl and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Stove top directions
- First, combine the vinegar and water in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next, place a bowl with a strainer on top. Line it with muslin cloth or cheesecloth and set aside.
- When ready, pour the milk into a medium sized pot and heat over medium heat.
- Once the milk has boiled, remove from the heat and stir.
- Slowly, add the vinegar in batches and stir. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes until all whey and milk solids are separated. The best way to tell it is ready is that the milk turns green in color.
- Once the milk is ready, use a strainer to drain the water and collect the paneer or chena. Keep the paneer in the strainer and pour some cold water over it to help remove the vinegar.
- Next, gather the ends of the muslin cloth and squeeze it tight to remove all the excess water. Once the water has drained, tie a knot and place it in the strainer or hang it somewhere to allow the excess water to drip off completely for 1 hour.
Make the Rasmalai balls
- Once the cheese has finished airing out, add the corn flour to the paneer or chena and knead it gently by using the heels of your hands for five minutes or until it becomes smooth.
- Next, divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal sized balls. Give the dough a round shape and then flatten it out by gently pressing in between your palms. As you press, make sure there are no cracks.
- Once the balls are ready, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat and add 2 cups of milk, cardamom powder, saffron and 6 tablespoon of sugar and give it a stir.
- When the sugar dissolves, add the paneer balls and place a lid over the saucepan or skillet. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes.
- Then, carefully open the lid and pour the evaporated milk and gently stir.
- Finally, add in the saffron and chopped dry fruit. Transfer the contents to a bowl and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Pro tips and tricks
Here are some great tips to make rasmalai at home easily.
- Make sure to squeeze as much moisture out of the muslin cloth as possible.
- Skip the nuts if you or your family are allergic to them.
- Do not do a quick release of pressure, allow it to slowly release.
- When making in the Instant Pot, make sure you turn off yogurt mode as soon as it says “boil” on the display.
Flavor variations
You can also play around with different seasonings to make the rasmalai your perfect dessert.
Adding vanilla bean or extract can give the syrup a bit of a smooth vanilla flavor.
You could also try other extracts like almond extract to give the syrup or the balls slightly different flavors.
Or, you even could also make the syrup a bit more mild tasting by removing the saffron or cardamom. The syrup would just provide a simple sweetness and no additional flavor.
Why are my Rasmalai balls too hard
There are two potential reasons your rasmalai balls are too hard. The first is you over-kneaded the dough. The second is that you boiled them for too long.
Do I have to use whole milk?
You need to use whole milk because the cheese is made from the fat from the milk. If you use lower fat milks, you won’t get the needed fat.
Garnishing options
For added flavor, you can top the rasmalai with fresh fruit or berries. You can also try different nut variations.
How to serve
Rasmalai are a sweet, delicate dessert that goes well after nearly any meal. Some of our favorite meals and foods to pair it with include:
If you are looking for other great flavors, you can check out some of these other recipes too:
How to store rasmalai
To store the rasmalai, place the balls and syrup in an airtight container. They should then last for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, you just need to remove them from the fridge and serve with your favorite toppings.
Let us know what you think
Rasmalai make for a mouthwatering dessert. If you make them, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
EASY RASMALAI RECIPE
Rasmalai is a traditional Indian dessert. These spongy, light dumpling-like balls are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth and who loves homemade desserts. When you make these for your family, they will absolutely love this mouthwatering dessert.
Ingredients
Rasmalai balls
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup distil vinegar.
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon corn flour
For Ras [syrup]
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- Saffron a pinch
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoon chopped pistachios and Slivered or sliced almonds.
Garnish
- dried rose petals
- pistachios and almonds
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- First, combine the vinegar and water in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next, place a bowl with a strainer on top. Line it with muslin cloth or cheesecloth and set aside.
- When ready, pour the milk into the Instant Pot, secure the lid, and select yogurt mode. Keep this on until it shows "Boil”.
- Once the milk has boiled, select “Cancel", open the lid, and stir the milk.
- Next, add the vinegar in batches and stir. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes until all whey and milk solids are separated. The best way to tell it is ready is that the milk turns green in color.
- When the milk is ready, use a strainer to drain the water and collect the paneer or chena. Keep the paneer in the strainer and pour some cold water over it to help remove the vinegar.
- Next, gather the ends of the muslin cloth and squeeze it tight to remove all the excess water. Once the water has drained, tie a knot and place it in the strainer or hang it somewhere to allow the excess water to drip off completely for 1 hour.
Make the rasmalai balls
- Once the cheese has dried, add the corn flour to the paneer or chena and knead it gently by using the heels of your hands for 5 minutes or until it is smooth.
- Next, divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal sized balls. Give the dough a round shape and then flatten it out by gently pressing in between your palms. As you press, make sure there are no cracks.
- Once the balls are ready, press sauté on your Instant Pot and add 2 cups of milk, cardamom powder, saffron and 6 tablespoon of sugar and give it a stir.
- When the sugar dissolves, add the paneer balls and secure the lid with the valve in sealing position. Next, select high pressure mode for 10 minutes and follow the cook time by a natural pressure release.
- Then, carefully open the lid and pour the evaporated milk and gently stir.
- Finally, add in the saffron and chopped dry fruit. Transfer the contents to a bowl and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Stove top directions
- First, combine the vinegar and water in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next, place a bowl with a strainer on top. Line it with muslin cloth or cheesecloth and set aside.
- When ready, pour the milk into a medium sized pot and heat over medium heat.
- Once the milk has boiled, remove from the heat and stir.
- Slowly, add the vinegar in batches and stir. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes until all whey and milk solids are separated. The best way to tell it is ready is that the milk turns green in color.
- Once the milk is ready, use a strainer to drain the water and collect the paneer or chena. Keep the paneer in the strainer and pour some cold water over it to help remove the vinegar.
- Next, gather the ends of the muslin cloth and squeeze it tight to remove all the excess water. Once the water has drained, tie a knot and place it in the strainer or hang it somewhere to allow the excess water to drip off completely for 1 hour.
Make the Rasmalai balls
- Once the cheese has finished airing out, add the corn flour to the paneer or chena and knead it gently by using the heels of your hands for five minutes or until it becomes smooth.
- Next, divide the dough into 10 to 12 equal sized balls. Give the dough a round shape and then flatten it out by gently pressing in between your palms. As you press, make sure there are no cracks.
- Once the balls are ready, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat and add 2 cups of milk, cardamom powder, saffron and 6 tablespoon of sugar and give it a stir.
- When the sugar dissolves, add the paneer balls and place a lid over the saucepan or skillet. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes.
- Then, carefully open the lid and pour the evaporated milk and gently stir.
- Finally, add in the saffron and chopped dry fruit. Transfer the contents to a bowl and refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I've never tried rasmalai before, but your photos make it look very inviting. The colors are magnificent and the combination of cardamom, rose petals and pistachios is so exotic.
Toni says
Everyone at my house loved this yummy dessert! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Michelle says
Never heard of rasmalai so thank you for sharing your knowledge on it! The rose petals look so beautiful on it! My hubby loves gulub jamun so I'm gonna have to try this soon!
Jessica says
I've never tries rasmalai, but man does it look delicious! I love that you topped with dried rose petals!
Angela says
This is a beautiful and vibrant dish. Your step by step directions are wonderful!