Sunday, October 31, 2010

Diwali Dhamaka #1 - Ras Malai

Happy Diwali

The festive mood is on!! :) :) :)

Diyas spread all over the streets.
The shopping spree has reached its extreme.
Dham!! dhoom!! Dum!! Damal!! crackers everywhere :)

Diwali is the most exciting festival according to me. Its filled with fun and fiesta :) The celebrations of this festival starts quite early and goes on for almost 5 days :)

Yup!! so the Diwali Dhamaka would go on for 5 days in fourth sense cooking too :) I am all excited to share my joy and celebrate along with my readers :)

Diwali or Deepavali is celebrated for various reasons and in different ways throughout India. So lets know more about it throughout this series :)

Ras malai1

Being a south India, let me start of with celebrations in South India.

Narakasura ruled the kingdom called Pradyoshapuram. Puranas say that Naraka, son of Bhudevi, acquired immense power from blessings given by Lord Brahma after a severe penance. Under his rule, the villagers suffered a lot of hardship as the demon tortured the people.

Unable to bear the tyranny of the demon, the celestial beings pleaded with Lord Krishna to save them from his torture. But Naraka had a boon that he would face death only by the hands of his mother Bhudevi. So, Krishna asks his wife Sathyabhama, the reincarnation of Bhudevi, to be his charioteer in the battle with Naraka.

When Krishna fell unconscious after being hit by an arrow of Naraka, Sathyabhama takes the bow and aims the arrow at Naraka, killing him instantly. Later Lord Krishna reminds her of the boon she had sought as Bhudevi. The Narakasura Vadh by Sathyabhama could also be taken to interpret that parents should not hesitate to punish their children when they step in to the wrong path.

The message of Naraka Chaturdashi Parva is that the good of the society should always prevail over one's own personal bonds. It is interesting to note that Bhudevi, mother of the slain demon Naraka, declared that his death should not be a day of mourning but an occasion to celebrate and rejoice. It is said Lord Krishna had an oil bath to rid himself off the blood spattered on his body when Naraka was killed. Which then became a practice to take oil bath on this day.
Ras malai2

Ingredients:


Ras :

Milk - 1 ltr
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder
Saffron

Malai:

Milk - 1 ltr
Lemon - 1
Ice cubes
Water - 3 1/2 cups
Sugar - 500 gms

Ras malai4

Method:

For Ras:

Boil the milk in a non stick pan. Simmer the stove and allow it to condense to half its quantity.

Once done, add sugar and mix till it gets dissolved.

Take two tsps of hot milk and soak few saffron strands in it for ten mins.

Add the soaked saffron strands along with the milk and mix it. Finally sprinkle some cardamom powder.

Ras is ready. Refrigerate it until use.

Ras malai

Method for Malai:

Boil milk in a vessel and once it starts to raise pour in the lemon extract and switch off the stove. Mix with a ladle until it curdles. Drop in ice cubes into the vessel immediately.

Then drain it in a thin muslin cloth or handkerchief. Hold it covered with cloth in the running water. This is to remove the lemon flavor from the prepared paneer.

Hang the cloth and allow it to drain for half an hour.

Now press and remove the excess water and transfer it to a bowl. Kneed the soft paneer into a dough. Roll into small balls and press them a lit flat.

Take the water and sugar in the pressure pan and mix till it dissolves. Once the water starts boiling drop in the rolled malai balls and pressure cook with weight on top for a whistle.

Switch off the stove and keep the pressure cooker under running water to cool it soon. Open immediately and transfer the cooked balls along with the sugar water to a different bowl. Leave it alone for 4 to 5 hours.

Later remove the the balls from the jeera and press them gently to remove excess jeera and drop them into the prepared ras.

Ras malai is ready :)

Serve it cold and top it with chopped almonds and pista.

Enjoy eating a rich and yummy dessert :)

Ras malai3
Written by: Nithya
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37 comments:

  1. love it nithya. beautifully presented. love those cute bowls. awesome rasmalai!

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  2. wonderful presentation nithya...very tempting ras malai!!!perfect for the diwali...Advance Happy diwali dear!

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  3. Thats a perfect Diwali treat...Happy Diwali to u in advance....Loved the presentation too

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  4. Rasmalai looks fabulous and is so ur presentation...:)
    Happy Diwali in advance...

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  5. wow..gorgeous presentation n yummy rasmalai!!

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  6. Advance happy Diwali to you. rasmalais look simply mouthwatering . So nicely decorated as well.
    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  7. Perfect!!! is all I can say. What a fantastic treat to the eyes these are. Lovely presentation & I am sure these are lip smacking too...

    Wish you a very happy Diwali!

    :)

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  8. Nits give me those cute luking bowls along with te ras malai :)
    Happy Deepavali... to u nd ur family

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  9. Happy Happy Diwali. Ras malai seems to be easy and your presentation is fantastic!!

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  10. Love the beautiful presentation Nithya.. Rasmalai is one of my fav sweets n ur great click surely make my sweet tooth clamor . Love ur pretty Diya shaped bowls too - perfect for Diwali ....

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  11. I like rasmalai a lot, will try this diwali to make at home, thanks for sharing the recipe :) , Do visit my blog for Diwali recipe from Maharashtra http://subhiksa.blogspot.com/search/label/Diwali%20Faral

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  12. Rasmalai looks very tempting! Pretty clicks as usual! Looking forward for more in this series!

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  13. Looks very tempting...cute bowls. 5 days damaka sounds great waiting....

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  14. Something completely new for me..beautifully presented.

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  15. Love the small cups and decoration than the rasmalai. well presented

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  16. great pics & superb presentation Nithya.

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  17. Beautiful presentation dear..lovely

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  18. super nithya :) looks very delicious :b the cups in which you have served.. are very adorable..
    Photos are very nice.. so, the Diwali celebrations have started..

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  19. Wonderfully done Nithya! Happy Diwali to all of you too. What a great way to start off the sweet season - dhamaka indeed!

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  20. Ras malai looks tempting delicious. Nice presentation.

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  21. this is going to be the 4th Diwali I am going to miss being away from home.But this time I will have Ras Malai for company :-) Fantastic :-)

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  22. Wow wat a beautiful and irresistible rasmalai, Happy Diwali in advance Nithya..

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  23. Beautifully presented...love it!!

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  24. Festivity is in the air and these rasmalai look sinfully inviting, Nithya :-)

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  25. nithu, when i saw the Ras malai title, i went immediately to the pics and preparation, but today i read the story behind "Diwali". It is very well written with "Moral". :)
    very nice :)

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  26. looks so festive. Lovely presentation as always :)

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  27. Thats looking so beautiful. I love rasmalai, and looking at these pics am just salivating :).
    Wish you a very Happy Diwali in advance

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  28. Mouthwatering recipe. Asesome presentation, love the bowls.

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  29. Festive greetings, apt sweet for this lovely festival. Have loads of fun, take care.

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  30. Happy Diwali to you too Nithya, the rasmali looks yum loving those cute serving bowls, pretty presentation :)

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  31. your pictures are perfect, and looks tempting too

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  32. have a look at my diwali faral too at
    http://subhiksa.blogspot.com/search/label/Diwali%20Faral

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  33. awestruck seein ur photographic skills :)

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