Rasgulla

Ingredients

• 2 litres full-fat milk
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp fine semolina
• 400g caster sugar
• 1.2 litres water
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)
• Ice cubes, for cooling the curds

Before you cook

• Line a colander with a large square of muslin.
• Mix the lemon juice with the water in a small bowl.
• Fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water.

Steps

1. Pour the milk into a heavy pan and bring it to the boil over a medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
2. Turn off the heat and wait 1 minute for the milk to stop bubbling.
3. Add the diluted lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, stirring gently, until the milk splits into soft white curds and clear greenish whey. Stop as soon as it splits, because extra acid makes the chhena tough.
4. Tip in a handful of ice cubes to stop the cooking straight away.
5. Pour everything through the lined colander and rinse the curds under cold running water for 30 seconds to wash away the lemon.
6. Gather the muslin, twist it tightly and squeeze out as much whey as you can, then hang it for 30 minutes.
7. Turn the chhena out onto a clean worktop and knead it with the heel of your hand for 8 to 10 minutes, until the grainy crumbs become one smooth, slightly greasy dough that leaves a faint film on your palm.
8. Sprinkle over the semolina and knead for another minute.
9. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll each between your palms into a crack-free ball. Any visible crack will split open during boiling.
10. Put the sugar, water and cardamom in a wide pan with a tight lid and bring to a rolling boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
11. Lower the balls into the boiling syrup one at a time, then cover the pan.
12. Boil hard over a medium-high heat for 15 minutes, lifting the lid once halfway to splash in 100ml of hot water and keep the syrup thin.
13. Check one dumpling by lifting it out. It should have doubled in size, feel springy, and sink in a glass of cold water rather than float.
14. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rose water.
15. Leave the rasgulla in the syrup to cool completely, then chill for at least 4 hours before serving so they drink up the syrup.