English: Homemade cottage cheese from milk and vinegar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Rus malai is a very popular dessert in Bangladesh.In Bangladesh we normally buy it from the shop.I live in North America the chances of buying the typical Rus malai is very slim. I have seen some specimens in the super market. They are over-priced and do not have the taste or the look of authentic Rus malai.
Recipe for Rus Malai :
Ingredients: 1. whole milk two litres = makes twenty ras malai
2. whipping cream= 3 cups
3. sugar = 2 cups
4. water to make syrup= 5 cups
5.white vinegar to make cheese= half cup
6.butter =1 tablespoon
7.all purpose flour= 1 table spoon
8.pistachio= one fourth of a cup for garnishing
Method: Heat the milk in low heat to avoid burning in the bottom .When the milk is in room temperature,turn up the heat,do not try to raise the heat to maximum as it still can burn the milk in the bottom,the heat should be raised gradually.When it comes to a boil,pour the white vinegar in the milk.You will notice the milk curdling,the water will separate from the cheese,when the water turns transparent,it is time to take off from the stove. You need a colander and a cheese cloth or J cloth whichever is at hand,place it in the colander and pour the cheese to drain the water. Let it cool so you can squeeze out the excess water without burning your hand.
When the cheese is ready the next step is to put it in a bowl,add the tablespoon of flour and the butter.Mix it thoroughly,start kneading,depending how wide your palm is you can pick it up and start to knead gently with your fingers.Put the lump of cheese back in your bowl and continue kneading with your fist.You will notice the cheese is soft and good enough to divide it into twenty small balls. Use your palm again to roll the balls into cylinders,making sure there are no cracks on the surface.When you get the cylinders complete, follow the next step. This is when you cook them in the syrup.
You pour the five cups of water and two cups of sugar in a five quart sauce pan. Dissolve the sugar by stirring,turn the heat up.When it comes to a boil,put your cheese cylinders one at a time.When it starts boiling,cover it and let it boil for five
Ras Malai (Photo credit: pchow98)
minutes,after five minutes reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for fifteen minutes,after this reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking for twenty minutes more.It will be cooked for forty minutes total.
The next step is to place the cream in another pot of similar size .Heat the cream gradually from slow to low medium.This can be prepared when there is five minutes left to complete the cooking of the cheese cylinders.Finally place each cylinder gradually in the cream for five to seven minutes.This completes the cooking part.
Place the rus malai in an oval bowl or round one. While you are waiting to complete the cooking,put the pistachios in a small cereal bowl and pour some water to soak them.Take off the skin of the nuts with your thumb and index finger.Slice them thin and garnish your “Rus Malai”
Sabethville 