Kheer Sagar/Cottage cheese dumplings in sweet flavoured reduced Milk

I was delighted to see a little bit of early morning sunshine peeping from the clouds as I saw the kids off to school from the balcony. Last few days it has been raining cats and dogs and Elephants in Goa and the feeble warmth of the sunshine is a welcoming change from the moisture laden, damp air. I opened the French windows wide to let my drawing room bask in the pleasant sunshine. I mentally reminded myself of the usual daily chores with the tea simmering on the stove and Hariprasad Chaurasia’s flute notes wafting from the drawing room, it felt like sheer bliss.

In my usual to do list was to prepare some traditional sweet dish for the oncoming 50 th Foodie Monday Bloghop which was playing on my mind since last week. During those ME moments I am always taken back to my childhood days by my ever wandering mind. And how smart is the brain, it connects the thoughts so beautifully. Sweet filled childhood memories clouded my mind with sinful images of Chenna poda, Rasmalai, Rasagolla etc. I literally shook myself out of the guilt filled reverie as I sipped my refreshing lemon grass tea. But the striking image that kept on hounding me constantly for the next few minutes as I scanned the newspaper was that of small spongy Rosogollas or Chenna balls floating in a bowl full of thick, creamy Rabdi or reduced Milk. And I had to make these to satiate my nostalgia filled senses.

This dish is known as Kheer Sagar or Khira Saagar in Odia which literally translates to Ocean of milk in the Odia language. The dish has been depicted in Hindu Mythology in scriptures where Goddess Lakshmi is serving Lord Vishnu with it. Kheer Sagar is marble sized Chenna or Cottage cheese balls soaked in sweetened condensed milk flavoured with saffron and cardamom. Kheer Sagar or Khira Saagar resembles the RasMalai a lot but the only difference is the milk base which is thicker in comparison to the famous Rasmalai. Source: Wikipedia

Kheer Sagar/Cottage cheese dumplings in sweet flavoured reduced Milk

Print Recipe

 Marble sized Cottage cheese balls in thick, sweetened ,flavoured condensed milk...A delicious Odisha speciality .

• Coursedessert
• Cuisineodia

Servings	Prep Time
20 piece	25 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings Prep Time 20 piece 25 minutes

Cook Time 60 minutes

Kheer Sagar/Cottage cheese dumplings in sweet flavoured reduced Milk Print Recipe  Marble sized Cottage cheese balls in thick, sweetened ,flavoured condensed milk...A delicious Odisha speciality . Coursedessert Cuisineodia Servings Prep Time 20 piece 25 minutes Cook Time 60 minutes Servings Prep Time 20 piece 25 minutes Cook Time 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 litre milk
• 1/2 tsp citric acid Crystals or
• 1 lemon Juiced
• 1 tsp Rawa or Semolina or Sooji
• 1/4 Cup water hot
• 4 Cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 litre milk
• 5 - 6 tbsps sugar or to taste
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp saffron strands

Servings: piece

Instructions

1. For the Rasgullas or Cottage cheese dumplings, boil 1 litre milk and switch off the flame.
2. Mix the citric acid crystals with 1/4 Cup hot water and slowly add the water to the boiled milk little by little stirring the milk all the time.If using lemon, add the juice to the milk.
3. The milk will curdle and the milk solids and whey will separate.
4. Strain the milk solids or the cottage cheese and wash it under running water so that traces of lemon washes off.
5. Leave it in the strainer ina muslin cloth till all the water drains out or for atleast half an hour.
6. Once the water drains out from the Chhena or cottage cheese knead it on your clean work counter or a wide vessel with the heel of your hand for nearly 10 minutes. The chenna should become smooth and pliable and you should be able to see traces of oil in your hands.
7. Now add the rawa or semolina to it and knead again for 5 more minutes.
8. Make 20 equal sized small, smooth balls, without any cracks from the dough and cover with a wet cloth.
9. Meanwhile boil the water and sugar mentioned under Chenna Rasgullas in a pressure cooker till the sugar dissolves properly.
10. Now slowly leave the Chenna balls in the sugar mixture and cook the balls till one whistle and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes in low flame And switch off.
11. Boil the milk mentioned under Rabdi in low flame stirring in between till the milk is reduced to half the quantity. This will take around 30- 40 minutes.
12. Add the sugar , cardamom powder and saffron strands to the milk and boil for 5 more minutes.
13. Now add the Rasgullas or Chenna balls from the pressure cooker making sure to squeeze the water from the Chenna balls before adding it to the boiling reduced milk.
14. Let the Rasgullas boil in low flame in the sweetened milk for nearly 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between as the milk tends to scorch the bottom. Stir carefully and very slowly so that the Rasgullas do not break open.
15. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.Refrigerate and serve with saffron and pistachios (optional)garnished.

Recipe Notes

Notes

• When kneading the cottage cheese for the rasgullas make sure the chenna is not very dry but a little moist, otherwise the rasgullas will become hard.If it is too soft then the balls will break.
• It's better to make the rasgullas in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pressure cooker as the rasgullas puff up and become double in volume.So make sure you leave enough space in the cooker while cooking it. The other advantage is all the sugar syrup gets used up .

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