Rasmalai recipe with step by step photos. Rasmalai is one of the popular and delicious Bengali sweet where rasgullas (cottage cheese balls) are soaked in thickened and sweetened milk.
Making rasmalai at home is not difficult. you can easily make some rasgulla at home and then make the thickened milk. I would suggest making the rasgulla a day or two before and then later make the rasmalai. Dividing work this way makes it easy.
This recipe of thickened sweet milk is the traditional method made with reducing milk and thus tastes authentic like the rasmalai served in mithai shops.
For the rasgullas, I had already shared a detailed recipe post earlier. So you can check this detailed step by step post for making rasgullas – How to make rasgulla. You can also get a store brought rasgulla to make rasmalai.
Rasmalai is usually served chilled and without any accompaniments. While serving, Also serve the thickened milk with the rasmalai.
How to make rasmalai
1. To make rasmalai, you will need 12 to 15 rasgullas. You can either make them at home or you can buy the store brought ones. To make rasgulla at home, you can check this detailed step by step post with lots of tips and suggestions – How to make rasgulla
2. boil ½ cup water. Then add almonds. Cover and keep aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Usually both almonds and pistachios are added. I had run out of pistachios, so just added almonds. You can add about 10 to 12 numbers each of the almonds and pistachios.
3. after 30 minutes, peel the almonds and slice them. Keep aside.
Thickening milk to make rasmalai
4. So when the almonds are blanching, take 1 litre of full fat whole milk in a thick bottomed pan or kadai.
5. bring the milk to a boil on medium flame.
6. whilst the milk is coming to a boil, take 2 tbsp milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let this milk become warm and then add 8 to 10 saffron strands. Stir and keep aside. You can also crush the saffron strands and then add.
7. once the milk has come to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer the milk. Collect the floating cream and with a spatula or spoon bring it to the sides. Continue to cook this way till the milk is reduced to half.
8. keep on collecting the cream which floats on the top and move it to the sides. Also keep on stirring the milk at intervals so that the milk does not get scorched at the bottom. this process of reducing milk will take about 20 to 25 minutes after the first boil on a low to medium flame.
9. Once the milk has reduced to half of its original volume, add sugar. Add 4 to 5 tbsp of sugar or as per your taste.
10. Stir well so that the sugar dissolves. Scrape the milk solids from the sides and add them to the simmering milk.
11. then add ½ tsp cardamom powder.
12. add the sliced almonds. Also reserve a few sliced almonds for garnish.
13. also add saffron dissolved milk.
14. stir again. Keep simmering the reduced milk at a low flame and do stir occasionally. Do check the taste and add more sugar if required. I usually do not thicken the milk to Rabri consistency as the rasgullas need to soak some of the sweetened milk. So I reduce the milk till its halved of its original quantity.
Making rasmalai
15. Take each rasgulla and with a spatula apply pressure, so the sugar syrup is removed from it. You can also press the rasgulla in your palms. Be gentle and don’t apply too much of pressure, as then the rasgullas will break. There should be no sugar syrup in the rasgullas.
16. Press all the rasgullas this way.
17. Now place the rasgullas in the simmering milk.
18. simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
19. switch off the flame and then add 1 teaspoon rose water or kewra water.
20. Stir gently. Cover and let the rasmalai come to a room temperature. Then chill and Serve rasmalai garnished with some sliced almonds or pistachios and saffron strands. You can also serve rasmalai warm or at room temperature.
Few more sweets recipes
Rasmalai
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 rasgulla, homemade or store brought ones
- 1 litre whole full fat cow milk or 4 cups whole full fat cow milk
- 4 to 5 tablespoon sugar or add as required
- 10 to 12 tablespoon almonds - blanched
- 10 to 12 unsalted pistachios - blanched
- ½ cup water for blanching the almonds and pistachios
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoon rose water or kewra water
- 8 to 10 saffron strands
- a few saffron strands for garnish
Instructions
preparation
- To make rasmalai you will need 12 to 15 rasgullas. Either you can buy them from stores or make them at home.
- Boil ½ cup water. Then add almonds & pistachios. Cover and keep aside for 30 to 40 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, peel the almonds, pistachios and slice them. Keep aside.
thickening milk to make rasmalai
- When the almonds are blanching, take 1 litre of milk in a thick bottomed pan or kadai.
- Bring the milk to a boil on medium flame.
- Whilst the milk is coming to a boil, take 2 tbsp milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let this milk
- Become warm and then add crushed saffron strands. Stir and keep aside.
- Once the milk has come to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer the milk. Collect the floating cream on the sides. Continue to cook this way till the milk is reduced to half.
- Keep on collecting the cream which floats on the top and move it to the sides. Also keep on stirring the milk at intervals so that the milk does not get scorched at the bottom.
- Add sugar and stir well so that the sugar dissolves.
- Then add cardamom powder.
- Add the sliced almonds & pistachios. Reserve a few almonds & pistachios for garnishing.
- Also add the saffron dissolved milk.
- Stir again. Keep simmering the reduced milk at a low flame.
making rasmalai
- Take each rasgulla and with a spatula apply pressure, so the excess sugar syrup is removed from it. You can also press the rasgulla in your palms. Be gentle and don't apply too much of pressure. As then the rasgullas will break. Do this with all the rasgullas.
- Now place the rasgulla in the simmering milk and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and then add 1 tsp rose water or kewra water (pandanus extract).
- Stir gently. Cover and let the rasmalai come to room temperature. Then chill and serve it garnished with some sliced almonds or pistachios and saffron strands.
- You can also serve rasmalai warm or at room temperature.
Mam you are just awesome. I tried this receipe and it turned out so well. I follow your blog religiously for all my cooking.
hi puja, thank you for this lovely feedback on rasmalai recipe. glad to know.
Mam, we use pasteurized cow’s milk to prepare rasmalai?
yes you can.
Hi Dassana,
You have mentioned that the water that remains after making chenna can be used for making chapatis or other stuff. How long can we store this water in the fridge?
Linda, it will stay good for 2-3 days in fridge.
Which is the best saffron(kesar) ?
Which one did you use in this recipe..there r so many brands confused with dem..plz suggest the best
currently i am using patanjal’s saffron. but for this recipe i had used taj mahal saffron.
Hi dear,
I am a regular visitor of ur blog and tried many of ur recipes. thanks for ur guidelines.. can u pls tell me the shelf life of rasmalai and sandhesh kept under refrigeration as i want to prepare in advance.
jayanthi, both stay good for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge. i would suggest you to prepare 1 to 2 days before.
Thanks for ur reply dear 🙂
welcome jayanthi.
Hi…
Thank you for lovely recipe.. I made ras gully for first time,It was spongy n yummy,.. Then I tried res malai,also for first time..I was nice.. Except one thing,it’s smoky in taste, I hv added elaichi n dalchini,then..???
Plz give corrections..
thanks farhat. elaichi powder is added. dalchini or cinnamon powder is not added. the smoky flavor is due to the dalchini powder. just add a bit more of elaichi powder to balance this smoky flavor of dalchini.
Thank you very much for this lovely recipe. I tried this out for Ganesh Chaturthi and it was awesome. It turned out very well. Everyone liked it. It was tasting better than what we get outside. Superb.
Welcome Mansi. Glad to know that you liked rasmalai recipe. Thanks for your positive review.
I love all ur receipes and they turn out exactly the way they r suppose too. I doubt if i wud b visiting or have visited any other receipe site in last 1 year . Superb.
lovelee very pleased to know this thank you for your positive and encouraging feedback 🙂
Thanks for the recipe… it was awsum… ? but i want to know can we use the rest rasmalai milk in another dish.
Welcome Shanu. You can just drink it. its a sweet milk.
I just made the rasmalai with the homemade rasgulla and it tastes amazing. If fact it tastes better than the shops, so thank you very much.
glad sumayyah you liked the rasmalai recipe 🙂 thankyou so much.
Hello… This looks yum… I want to try this… But saffron is not easily available in stores around me.. How can I make this without saffron ?
skip the saffron neha.
How to make rasgullas
aman you could check rasgullas recipe from the blog.
Love it . I also made homemade rasgulla and they wete nice spongy and mouthwatering . Everyone liked them. Now gonna make rasmalai out of remaining ones. I wonder the rasgullas we get from sweet shops are not spongy . They are dry ones which they pack in boxes. I think they aren’t spongy rasgullas there may be variations in making them . What actually they are and how they can be prepared.
good to know that harsimrat that the rasgullas turned out great. whenever you try any recipe and there is a positive feedback, i feel good. because i know you put a lot of effort and keep on trying. there are many variations. there is a spongy and there is non spongy version too. they are all made from chenna but the other ingredients that go, the cooking method and time differs.
Hyy .. I tried this recipe using readymade rasugallas… And it turned out to be soooo tastyyy … Thank you for this awesome and easy recipe … Loved itttt … :*
welcome ridhima. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
Some namkeen taste come in rasmalai but can’t find where it’s come from.please give solution if possible.
rohit, did you added any salted dry fruit like salted pista. that could be the reason.
Hi.. Read lot of your interesting recipes… Also made rasgullas.. Really turned out well.. It’s request if u cud gv receipe of gur rasmalai which is famous of Calcutta… I Wud be highly grateful
thanks archana. i have noted down the recipe request. i will try to add but there is a big pending requested recipe list.
Hi.. my rasguallas were quite soft when they were simmering..but when i added them to the reserved sugar solution and added the remaining solution ,they became hard :/ why did this happen ?
Ps – Thanks a lot for your wonderful recipes.. really helps a lot 🙂
thanks ayesha. possibly the remaining sugar solution which is added right at the end, must have been hot or slightly hot. its should be lukewarm or at room temperature. this must have hardened the rasgullas. i don’t see any other reason.
Hi dassana after the jam receipe I tried rasgulla n a huge thanks to u the step by step details of the receipe really helped me to make perfect rasgullas at one go they are very soft spongy n of course tasty they r my favorite so I will prepare them frequently thanks to u again also rasmalai is my favorite n shall soon try it
I also have tried kaju katli many times but I m not getting right texture n soft katli can u help me
welcome bhawana. thanks for the feedback on rasgulla. i don’t know where you are going wrong in kaju katli becasue many readers have tried the recipe successfully. you can let me know what goes wrong so that i can help you out.
Last time also i commented on your recipes .. you know ..
Just mind blowing recipes
princess, thanks again for sharing this positive feedback on recipes.
Wow dear !!
Amazing experience with you …
You always share awesomeeee recipes ..
I just love them ..
All are simple + tasty and most important that they are checked ..
I mean you try them and then younshare then with pics .
Truly appreciating ..
Thank you so much ..
Keep sharing ☺
welcome princess. glad to read your positive feedback.
Please give me recipe to make chakli with rice flour and urad dal powder, i tried but they turned out soft not crispy
zeenat, i can not give the recipe like this because i always try the recipe and then post it. i will add this version also in coming months.
hi Dasna, thanks for the recipe of rasmai. I tried and it was yummy. but the rasgullas were soft and bigger on the first day. next day when I removed it from the frize, they became little bit harder and smaller. y so ? pls reply
when refrigerated the rasgullas do become slightly dense, but they don’t become hard. its the same reason when we keep paneer in the fridge, they become dense or hard.
is it because I prepared rasgulla also at home only ? should I bring readymade rasgulla ?
homemade or readymade rasgullas do not make a difference. if some issue has happened with the homemade rasgullas, then they can become hard. you can try rasmalai with readymade rasgulla too.