Mithai shop favourite · Spongy discs
Ras Malai Recipe (Soft Chhena Discs in Saffron Milk)
Moist chhena. Knead smooth. Thin syrup, lid on.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenRas malai is soft cheese discs soaked in cold saffron milk, the pride of every mithai shop. Homemade ones turn hard, flat or break in the syrup. The fix is chhena that is moist rather than squeezed dry, kneading until smooth, and boiling the discs in thin syrup with the lid on so they puff.
The 3 laws of ras malai
Why this recipe works
Squeezed dry
Soft discs.
Grainy
No cracks.
Thick syrup
Discs puff and absorb.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Discs
Rabri milk
The NineFoods ras malai gauge
Are the discs cooked?
Drop one in cold water.
Method · 4 stages
Step by step
Chhena
- Boil milk, add lemon water off the heat to split.
- Rinse, hang 30 minutes.
Discs
- Knead chhena with cornflour until smooth; shape 12 flat discs.
Cook
- Boil discs in thin syrup with the lid on. Use the gauge above.
Milk
- Reduce milk by a third with sugar, saffron and cardamom.
- Squeeze discs lightly, soak in the milk and chill.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Chhena too dry.
Fix next time
Hang only 30 minutes.
Why
Not kneaded.
Fix next time
Knead until smooth.
Why
Lid off or thick syrup.
Fix next time
Thin syrup and cover.
Why
Not reduced.
Fix next time
Reduce by a third.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade chhena | Discs | Shortcut: milk powder dough |
| Saffron | Colour | Pinch of yellow colour |
| Full fat milk | Rabri | Evaporated milk |
| Pistachios | Topping | Almonds |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Chilled, after Eid lunch or dinner.
Store
Fridge 3 days.
Reheat
Serve cold.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 12 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (are the discs cooked) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Ras Malai FAQ
Why is my ras malai hard?
The chhena was squeezed too dry.
Why do the discs break?
The chhena was too wet or not kneaded.
Can I use milk powder?
Yes, milk powder ras malai is a quick shortcut.
How long should they soak?
At least 4 hours, ideally overnight.