Do you know the secret of the delicious taste of rasamalai, which melts and makes you feel great? This has a luxurious flavor but what’s the difference between this great rasalmalai with normal one? The secret of this yummy rasamalai is the great spice called cardamom.

Cardamom, The best spice for Rasamalai

As we all know, cardamom is the queen of spice, and it works according to its name. The flavour of this spice makes rasamalai taste great with its warm, citrusy and slightly floral aroma. This flavour balances the milk and enhances the overall taste of the dessert. Cardamom can be added whole, crushed or even in powdered form, any form will give rasamalai its flavor and the flavour of the dessert stays long after taking a single bite too.

Which Type of Cardamom is Best for Rasamalai

Cardamom comes in 2 varieties which are Green cardamom and Black Cardamom. 

• Green cardamom is best suited for rasamalai as it contains a sweet and floral aroma. It enhances the flavour of the dessert without overpowering it. 
• Black Cardamom has a smoky, bold flavour which is more suitable for savoury dishes and I won’t recommend it to use in rasamalai as it will spoil the taste.

Recipe to Make Amazing Rasamalai:

Ingredients:

• For Rasamalai patties:

Take 1 litre of full-fat milk, then 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and finally 3 to 4 crushed cardamom pods.

• For Rabri:

You should take half a litre of full-fat milk. A quarter cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of cardamom powder, some dry fruits like almonds and pistachios and finally if want you can use 8 to 10 saffrons and 1 teaspoon of rose water.

Let’s start making delicious rasamalai:

1. Boil the milk first, use the heavy bottom pan to boil. After a boil, keep it to a simmer and add lemon juice. Then, stir gently until the milk curdles. Once the milk separates from the water, strain the curdled milk using a thin cloth. Then make the curdled milk look like a ball, then rinse it in cold water to remove the taste of lemon from it. Then, squeeze out the excess water from it and hang it at the top anywhere for 30 minutes.

2. Then after 30 minutes, take that out, it’s Indian cottage cheese (Chenna)  now, something similar to paneer. Now transfer chenna to a plate and knead it till it becomes smooth, it will take you 8 to 10 minutes. Then make small balls of dough, it should look like a disc and of the same size.

3. Then, take a wide pan, then add sugar and some crushed cardamom pods, then boil it. Once it boils, gently drop all the rasamalai discs in the sugar syrup close the pan and cook for 15 minutes on medium flame.

4. One important step is to transfer them to cold water after it is cooked, this will maintain their softness.

5. Then, take another pan, heat the full-fat milk, and stir it until the milk is slightly reduced and creamy. And don’t stop stirring as it may burn the milk at the bottom. Add sugar, cardamom powder, some saffron and chopped nuts, then let the rabri be in simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Finally, combine. Gently squeeze the excess sugar syrups from the rasamalai balls and transfer them to the rabri infused with cardamom. Leave it for 2 to 3 hours for extra taste due to its maximum flavour absorption.

The pro tip would be to use cardamom oil or grind the seeds of cardamom fresh rather than using the store-bought powder. The aroma of it will be more refreshing and intense.

Importance of Cardamom in Rasamalai

You would have at least tried Rasamalai once in your life. If you have not, you should try it. Without cardamom, rasamalai won’t be that great. So, let’s see what cardamom adds to rasamalai,

1. Fragrance – It adds an aroma which makes it irresistible. The gentle flavour of citrus and mint makes the rasamalai even tastier.
2. Balances the sweetness – The recipe is sweeter, so, by adding cardamom the sweetness is balanced and makes the dish taste rich.
3. Digestion Aid – This delicious dish is unstoppable and overeating may cause digestion issues, so, adding cardamom makes the dish tastier as well as easier for the stomach to digest.
4. Metabolism Boost – Adding cardamom will help in maintaining the blood sugar level and enhance metabolic function.
5. Mood Improvement – The fragrance of the cardamom has properties of stress relief. This makes every bite so comforting.

How Freshly Ground Cardamom makes a difference

The cardamom powder which is pre-packed often loses its aroma. The true magic of cardamom comes out when fresh cardamom pods are crushed using mortar and pestle before being added to Rasamalai. The fresh ground’s aroma and taste are unbelievable!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rasamalai is a dessert that needs precision especially when adding cardamom for its flavor and aroma. A small mistake will spoil the entire dish. Here are some of the common mistakes that you need to take care of while making rasamalai,

1. Don’t over-knead or under-knead the chenna which is solids of curdled milk. Overkneading makes the dense and rubbery and underkneading makes the chenna grainy and it breaks apart. You should knead the chenna gently for 5 to 7 minutes to form a soft dough.

2. The second common mistake is most people don’t strain the chenna properly. Too much moisture won’t let rasamalai be in shape and it will break while adding it to sugar syrup.

3. The hero spice of rasamalai is cardamom, when you add this less or too much, it spoils the dish. Add it in moderation because too little won’t let the flavour out and too much will make the dish bitter.

4. Don’t cook rasamalai balls in sugar syrup for more than 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. That is the balls should be double in size when you switch off the stove.

5. This mistake is made by most people they add the rasamalai balls to hot rabri, which breaks the balls and makes the dish mushy. So, leave the rasamalai to cool slightly in sugar syrup before transferring it to the warm rabri, it should not be boiling.

6. The last mistake is that freshly made rasamalai needs time to absorb the flavour of rabri. So eating it before 4 hours may taste low.

Final Takeaways

We can relate cardamom as the soul of rasamalai, without it, rasamalai won’t be that great. Cardamom balances the sweetness and richness of milk. The role of cardamom is irreplaceable in making rasamalai truly special. Whether the rasamalai is made during a festival or any special occasion, a perfect made will give a hint of cardamom which is such pure bliss.

Related Articles:

• Cardamom in Ayurveda: Traditional Uses for Health & Wellness
• Cardamom Farming: Cultivation, Harvesting, and Processing Methods
• Cardamom Oil: Uses, Benefits, and How to Make It at Home