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Rosmonjuri
রসমঞ্জুরী (roshmonjuri): Gaibandha's tiny chhana balls in thick, sweet reduced milk
Gaibandha, a northern district on the banks of the Brahmaputra and Teesta, is proud of rosmonjuri, a bowl of dozens of tiny chhana balls, no bigger than marbles, sitting in milk that has been reduced for an hour until it is thick, creamy and pale caramel. Shops there sell it by weight in clay pots, and it is served at weddings, after Eid lunch and whenever relatives come home. The balls are spongy and soft, the milk rich and scented with cardamom, a little like rasmalai but denser and sweeter. Dropping the balls into the milk while they are still hot from the syrup makes them burst and cloud the milk, a mistake easy to avoid by cooling both first. Chef's tip: keep the balls really small, around 1.5 cm; they double in the syrup and should still fit three to a spoon.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chhana balls
- 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juicemixed with 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 9 oz sugar
- 4 ¼ cups water
For the reduced milk
- 6 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp pistachios (optional)chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Start the milk: bring 6 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil in a wide, heavy pan and simmer over a medium-low heat for about 1 hour, stirring every few minutes and scraping the sides, until reduced to about 600 ml.
60 minStep 2: Meanwhile, bring 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in another pan, take off the heat for 1 minute and add 3 tbsp lemon juice gradually until the curds separate.
10 minStep 3: Drain through muslin, rinse with cold water, squeeze and hang for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Knead the chhana with 1 tsp cornflour for 8 minutes until smooth, then roll into about 40 tiny crack-free balls.
8 minStep 5: Bring 9 oz sugar and 4 ¼ cups water to a rolling boil, add the balls, cover and boil for 12–15 minutes until doubled. Cool in the syrup.
15 minStep 6: Stir 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom into the reduced milk and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 7: Lift the balls out of the syrup, press each very gently to remove some syrup and slip them into the milk.
Step 8: Chill for at least 2 hours, scatter with 1 tbsp pistachios and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rosmonjuri take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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