Rasagola which have now become popular throughout India
and other parts of South Asia actually originated in the Indian state of Odisha.
These are made from balls ofChhena (an
Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in a sugar syrup. In Odisha, Rasagola, also known by its original name, Khira Mohana has been a traditional Odia dish for
centuries. The inventors of Rasagola are thought to be the Kar brothers, the
descendants of a local confectioner, Bikalananda
Kar, in the town of Salepur, near Cuttack. Even today these Rasgollas famously named as Bikali Kar Rasgolla, are sold all over Odisha.
Though
canned Rasagollas are probably the only choice for many Rasagolla-desirers
outside Bengal or India, traditionally they are sold in clay pots called handis. In the coastal city of Puri in Odisha, the Rasagolla has been the
traditional offering to the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of
Wealth), the consort to the Puri
Temple’s main deity, Jagannath. In fact, it is an age-old custom inside the
temple to offer Rasagollas to Lakshmi in order to appease her
wrath for being ignored, on the last day of the eleven day long famous Rath Yatra (chariot festival). Only after the
goddess has savored Rasagollas,
do the trinity of deities re-enter the temple precincts after their sojourn. Rasagollas are distributed to the numerous
devotees who throng to witness the event. This intricate ritual, called Niladri Vijay, has
traditionally marked the commencement of the festival every year. Scholars believe that the
sweet may in fact owe its origin to the very temple itself claiming that the Rasagolla might be more than 600 years old and
is as old as the Rath Yatra in Puri! The Rath Yatra, which started more than
six centuries ago, has not changed with times. And until today, Rasagolla is the only sweet offered to
Mahalaxmi, Jagannath’s consort, to appease her when the deities return home.
In many Odia households, sweets
are savored on a daily basis. Rasagolla is the most common sweet
available in all parts of the state. In Odisha, it is common to find a
single raisin inside each Rasagolla. Crushed cardamom
seeds are used for a fragrant version. The odia Rasagolla can be further
differentiated into the Salepur and the Pahala varieties. The Salepur Rasagulla
is more chewy and sweeter while the Pahala Rasagulla is very soft and aromatic.
RASAGOLLA
Ingredients:
- 1 litre milk
- 2 cups sugar
- Juice of 2 lemon
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 Tsp of Pistachios for garnishing
Let's Learn how to make it:
- Boil Milk in a pan and once it
starts boiling , take from heat and let it cool for 2-3 mts.
- Put lemon juice a little at a
time to the milk to split.
- Once you see the clear water, strain
it in a strainer with a muslin cloth and immediately put cold water
over it to cool it down and take away the flavor of the lemon from the
Chenna.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes so that all the water drains from the Chena and after that collect all the chenna from the muslin cloth.
- Knead the Chenna with your palm
for 5 to 10 mts till it becomes smooth .
- Make small balls of the chenna. Approximately you can make 12 to 15 chenna balls out of this.
- Boil 2 cups of sugar with 4
cups of water in a pressure cooker . Add ½ tsp of cardamom powder in it
and allow it to boil on a high heat. Make sure the water level is so that the chena balls are completely submerged in it.
- Now, put the Chenna balls in
the boiling water and cook for 15 minutes on high flame.
- After every 5 minutes check the Chena balls , you will see them becoming double in size and floating on top.
- Turn off the heat and wait till it cools down completely.You can see soft and juicy Rasagollas before your eyes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot or cold as per your choice.
Happy Cooking.......
This Recipe is an entry to The KitchenAid India Navratri Challenge for The Hub @ Archana’s Kitchen.
