Pista Rasmalai Recipe

Ingredients:
For the Soft Cottage Cheese:
Milk - 10 cups
Lemon Juice - 4 tbsp

For the Cottage Cheese Balls:
Refined Flour - 4 tsp
Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Sugar - 4 1/2 cups

For the Thickened Milk:
Full Cream Milk - 2 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup

For the Garnish:
Pistachios - 5 tsp, Chopped
Saffron - 1/4 tsp, Dissolved in 1 tbsp milk

Method:
1. For the soft cottage cheese, heat the milk in a pan and bring to a slow boil.
2. Remove from the heat and let the milk cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add the lemon juice and stir till the milk curdles.
4. Carefully strain the curdled milk through a fine cheese cloth.
5. Tie it up and let it hang for 30 minutes or until the liquid has completely drained off.
6. The residue in the cheese cloth is cottage cheese.
7. Place the cottage cheese in a bowl, crumble with your fingers and rub till a creamy.
8. Sieve the flour and baking powder together; add the cottage cheese and knead to a fine, soft dough.
9. Divide the dough into 20 equal portions and flatten each slightly between your palms.
10. In a heavy pan, bring the water to a slow boil.
11. Add the sugar, mix well over a low heat till completely dissolved to get a fine, clear syrup.
12. Remove the scum from the surface.
13. Add the cottage cheese patties to the sugar syrup and boil on a low heat for 10 minutes or till they double in size and rise to the surface.
14. Remove the patties with a slotted spoon and keep aside for 3 to 4 minutes.
15. Squeeze them gently to remove any syrup and place on a serving dish.
16. For the thickened milk, heat the milk on a low heat until reduced to half, stirring occasionally.
17. Add the sugar, cool and refrigerate.
18. To serve, pour the chilled, thickened milk over the cottage cheese patties and cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
19. Garnish with pistachios and saffron.