Chai Rasmalai (Easy Sweet Ricotta Dumplings)
Originating from the region encompassing north-west India and Bangladesh, Rasmalai is a dessert that I first encountered on an Air India flight to Chennai when I was a little’un.
A puck of soft, spongy fresh cheese drenched in a sweetly-spiced milk, Rasmalai is essentially the South Asian cheesecake.
The “proper” recipe for Rasmalai involves making cottage cheese, and honestly ain’t nobody got time for that (unless you do, in which case, good on you). This version is adapted from Anjum Anand’s Cheat’s Rasmalai recipe, and it uses store-bought ricotta (as fresh as possible) and involves baking in a mould, instead of poaching in sugar syrup. So if you’re looking for an “authentic”, “traditional” recipe, you’ve come to the wrong place, my friend. But it is delicious nonetheless.
Chai Rasmalai
Chai mixture:
- 50g ricotta
- 500ml evaporated milk
- 3 tbsp The Chai Villain’s Sticky Chai Blend
Ricotta dumplings:
- 450g ricotta
- 50g icing sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
To serve:
- Chopped pistachios
- Zest of half a lime
- Bring the evaporated milk and Sticky Chai Blend to a boil. Kill the heat and infuse for 4 minutes. Strain. Immediately whisk in 50g of ricotta. Refrigerate until cold.
- Preheat the oven to 170degrees. Lightly grease the moulds or mini muffin tin. We’ve used fancy moulds but any mould that will give you tennis ball-sized servings will do.
- Whizz the icing sugar and baking powder in a food processor to break up any clumps. Add the 450g of ricotta and whizz until smooth. Fill the moulds and bake for 30-40 mins. When the dumplings are ready, they would have popped up slightly and be springy to the touch. Leave them to cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer the dumplings into a bowl and pour over the Chai mixture. Fridge it overnight.
- Sprinkle over chopped pistachios, a touch of lime zest and serve.