Shuruwat Kuch Mithe Se Ho Jaye – Angoor Rabdi

As this is my first blog, I would like to begin on a sweet note; something that I have mastered over the years; something that I love to make, serve and relish myself.. Yes – its Angoor Rabdi – one of the popular bengali sweet of spongy cottage cheese balls alias rasgullas (angoor) soaked in thickened and sweetened milk (rabdi)..

I learnt this dish from my mother in my childhood days and mastered it over the years.. This dish has two parts to it – one making the angoor (which can be made at home or purchased from outside) and second is the rabdi.. I personally recommend making both at home only, but people feel that making the angoor at home is a humongous task.. But believe me, it is very simple and easy to make.. I will be covering the recipe of Rasgulla in my next post and also clarify few of the myths relating to it..

So lets get started with the ingredients and recipe for Angoor Rabdi..

Ingredients:

Small Rasgullas – 15-18 pcs

Full Cream Milk – 1 litre

Sugar – 1 cup

Cardamom (Elaichi) Powder – 1 tsp

Kesar – few strands

Almonds (Badam) and Pistachio – handful

Method:

Step 1

Pour the milk into a deep, thick bottomed pan and bring it to boil on high flame. Once the milk boils, lower the flame and keep stirring until it reduces to three-fourth its original volume. Keep scrapping the cream that collects on the sides of the pan.

Step 2

Add sugar and cardamom (elaichi) powder to the boiling milk.

Step 3

Vertically cut the almonds and pistachio into long pieces. Add it to the boiling milk.

Step 4

Take the few strands to saffron in a cup and add two tsp of hot milk to it. Gently crush the saffron in the milk so that the colour and flavour of the saffron spreads evenly. Add this mixture to the milk.

Step 5

After adding the saffron mixture to the milk, put off the flame and allow the thickened milk (rabdi) to cool down.

Note: Always put saffron at the end and don’t allow the milk to boil much after adding the saffron. Overheating of saffron would make it bitter.

Step 6

Once the milk has cooled down, take the rasgullas. Squeeze all the sugar syrup out of the rasgullas and add it in the rabdi.

Step 7

After adding the rasgullas, refrigerate the angoor rabdi and serve chilled. While serving, garnish with saffron strands, almond and pistachio pieces.

Do try it at home and share your experiences here.. Do comment back if you face any difficulty while preparing the dish.. I would be happy to guide you always !!!

You may experiment this dish with different flavors that tickle your taste buds; strawberry crush, chocolate sauce, cocoa powder, sitaphal pulp, etc.. in place of saffron..