Rasgulla Recipe (Soft and Spongy)
Rasgulla, also known as Rosogolla or Bengali rasgulla, is a popular Indian milk-based sweet made by simmering soft paneer balls in a light sugar syrup until soft, juicy, and spongy. If you’ve ever wondered how to make soft rasgullas at home, this simple, step-by-step rasgulla recipe without eggs is for you. Prepare this traditional Indian dessert using ingredients like milk, vinegar or lemon juice, and sugar. Serve it as part of a dessert platter along with other Indian sweets like gulab jamun, ladoo, or kheer. Whether you’re searching for festive mithai recipes, this step-by-step guide will help you make soft rasgullas at home using paneer (chenna) made from full cream milk, and cook them in a sugar syrup until they turn light, fluffy, and juicy so that you get authentic halwai-style rasgullas every time.
Ingredients for Rasgulla Recipe
- Full cream milk – 1 liter (use full-fat milk for best results)
- White vinegar – 2 tablespoons (or lemon juice as an alternative coagulant)
- Cold water – for rinsing the chenna
- Granulated sugar – 1½ cups (about 300 grams)
- Water – 4 cups (1 liter)
- All-purpose flour (Maida) – 1 teaspoon (optional)
- Water – 1 tablespoon (mix to make a light slurry)
Rasgulla Recipe | How to Make Soft & Spongy Rasgulla
Make Chenna (Paneer) for Rasgulla
1. To begin making this delicious Indian sweet, pour 1 liter of full cream milk into a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Use full-fat milk for best results, as it’s essential for making soft and spongy chenna balls.
2. Once the milk comes to a full boil, reduce the flame slightly. Then slowly add 2 tablespoons vinegar (or lemon juice) while gently stirring with a slotted spoon. The milk will curdle and separate into chenna and whey, an important recipe step in preparing this milk-based Rasgulla sweet.
3. Pour the curdled milk into a muslin-lined strainer over a bowl. Rinse the chenna (curdled milk solids) under cold water to remove the vinegar taste, then gently squeeze out excess moisture. The firm chenna is used to make fresh paneer for Indian desser rasgullas.
Prepare Sugar Syrup (Chasni) for Rasgullas
4. To prepare the sugar syrup (chasni), take a deep frying pan or heavy saucepan, and add 1½ cups (300 grams) sugar.
5. Pour 4 cups (1 liter) water into the pan and let the mixture boil over high flame. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves and the syrup slightly thickens. This sugar syrup for rasgulla helps the balls swell and absorb sweetness during cooking.
Knead the Chenna to Make Dough
6. Transfer the soft homemade paneer to a flat plate or kneading board. Knead it for about 5 minutes to make a smooth, crack-free dough for rasgullas. This step rasgulla turns soft and spongy.
Shape the Dough into Rasgulla Balls
7. Take small portions of the chenna dough and roll them between your palms to make 10–15 smooth round balls. Put them in a plate, these sweet paneer balls should be free of cracks to retain shape of rasgulla while cooking.
Add Rasgulla Balls to Boiling Sugar Syrup
8. When the sugar syrup for rasgulla is hot and reaches a slightly thick sticky consistency, gently drop in the prepared rasgulla balls one by one in pan.
Cook Rasgulla in Syrup
9. Allow the rasgulla balls to cook in the boiling syrup. As they simmer, they absorb the syrup and expand in size. Continue cooking for 10 minutes until the rasgullas become soft and spongy.
Optionally, add a slurry of 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (maida) and 1 tablespoon water to stabilize the syrup.
Serve Soft and Spongy Rasgulla
10. Once the sugar syrup (chasni) reduces slightly and the rasgullas double in size, turn off the flame. Let the rasgullas cool down in the syrup. Your homemade rasgulla is now ready to serve, perfect as a festival sweet recipe or a chilled Indian dessert after meals.
Serving Suggestions for Rasgulla
- Serve Chilled: Rasgullas taste best when served chilled straight from the refrigerator. However, you can enjoy rasgullas slightly warm or at room temperature, especially during winters.
- Garnish Rasgullas with Saffron or Rose Water: For a festive touch, garnish rasgullas with a few strands of saffron (kesar) or a few drops of rose water or cardamom essence. Serve it as part of a dessert platter along with other Indian sweets like gulab jamun, kaju katli, or rasmalai.
- Serve Rasgulla with Rabri: For a richer version, serve rasgullas dunked in thick rabri (sweetened reduced milk) for a decadent dessert known as rasgulla rabri.
FAQs
When rasgullas are likely overcooked or the chenna wasn’t kneaded enough, it becomes hard. Knead it until smooth and soft.
Too much water in the chenna or not enough kneading can cause rasgullas to break. Make sure to drain well and knead properly.
Boil for 12–15 minutes in sugar syrup, covered. They will puff up.
Recipe Card
Soft and Spongy Rasgulla
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Deep frying pan
- 1 Muslin cloth or cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 1 liter full cream milk full-fat cow milk recommended
- 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 cup water for rinsing chenna
- 1½ cups sugar 300 grams
- 4 cups water 1 liter
- 1 teaspoon rose water optional, for fragrance
- 1 teaspoon maida
- 1 tablespoon water optional slurry for syrup texture
Instructions
- Pour 1 liter of full cream milk into a large pot. Bring to a boil on high flame. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- Reduce the heat and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar slowly, stirring with a slotted spoon. The milk will split into chenna (curds) and whey.
- Place a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl and pour the curdled milk through it. Rinse the chenna with cold water to remove acidic taste. Squeeze gently to remove excess water.
- Transfer chenna to a flat plate or parat. Knead the chenna for 2–5 minutes until it becomes smooth and dough-like.
- Divide the dough into 10–15 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms into smooth, crack-free balls.
- In a deep pan, combine 1½ cups sugar with 4 cups water. Boil on high flame until the sugar syrup becomes slightly sticky but not thick.
- Gently drop each rasgulla ball into the boiling syrup. Cook on high flame for 10–12 minutes. They will double in size. Optionally, add maida slurry to stabilize syrup.
- Turn off the flame. Let rasgullas rest in syrup for 10–15 minutes. Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with rose water or saffron if desired.
Notes
- Always use full-fat milk to get rich, soft chenna.
- Kneading well ensures soft, spongy rasgullas without cracks.
- Do not overcook rasgullas in sugar syrup or the rasgullas may harden.
- Add rose essence or cardamom powder for a traditional flavor.
