Ras Malai

My little one turned two and i am reminiscing the day he was born, which is like yesterday to me. I think all mothers think likewise too. He was born a day before my birthday, which made him the best birthday present ever i could ask for. Let me check myself here, before i become too sentimental. Wishing my little one and myself a happy birthday !

I made this ras malai for the first time, which turned out quiet well.....

Ingredients

1/2 gallon - Whole milk
1 cup - Vinegar

For sugar syrup

5 cups - Water
1 cup - Sugar

For making ras for malai

1 can - Sweetened Condensed milk
2 can - Evaporated milk
( recommend carnation brand )
1/4 cup - Almonds, chopped
1/4 cup - Pistachios, chopped
A few saffron strands

Method

1 ) First to make malai, boil milk to the boiling point and pour vinegar to curdle the milk. Stir continuously. The milk will curdle and whey will separate. Take off the stove and let it stand for a few minutes.

(In picture boiling milk and then curdled milk )

2 ) Pour the contents to a cheese cloth placed on a sieve. Squeeze & drain out all the whey to get fresh paneer /malai.

3 ) Wash the paneer well with water. You can run water into the drained paneer in the cheese cloth, by placing under a tap.This will remove the vinegar taste.

4 ) Squeeze & drain all the water very well.

• Then you have to knead the paneer very well. You can knead with hand ( which you will really have to knead for a long time to get soft paneer dough ) or place paneer in food processor and do as dough is made for chapati.

5 ) Make small patties of the paneer.

• Meanwhile to make sugar syrup, boil water and add sugar to it. Once the sugar has dissolved. Bring the syrup to a good boil, simmer then add the paneer patties to the syrup.
• On a medium heat cook the paneer patties with lid closed for 5 to 8 minutes. Paneer will double up in size. Switch off the heat and take off the stove. ( It's best to cook paneer patties in small batches, since there should be space in pan, when paneer doubles up)
  

6 ) To make ras - Mix together evaporated milk and sweetened condense milk.

• Drain paneer patties from sugar syrup and add to the ras.
• Then add chopped up almonds, pistachios and garnish with few saffron strands. Refrigerate for an hour.

Serve cold and enjoy this sweet treat.