Roshogolla(রসগোল্লা)! Also known as rasgulla or Roshgulla. The all time most beloved mishti of most Bangladeshis. Do you know how many ways the homemade rusgulla process can go wrong? About a hundred ways. How do I know? Oh, my! Because I’ve encountered them all and it took me more or less about hundred tries to perfect the Rasgulla making process. Well, maybe a little less than a hundred times, but it sure felt that way. Now, so that you don’t have to waste all those pure milk and sugar hundred times, I am going to tell you about all the tips and tricks I have gathered over the years so you can get the perfect rasgulla right the first time. Well, may be not the first time if you don’t precisely follow each of the intricate tips. Let’s start –
Tips about Chhana to make Rasgulla:
- Use whole milk, preferably organic, to make the chhana. No low-fat, 2% or skim milk business here. Find the recipe and tricks to make soft chhana for Bengali mishti(sweets) here. Follow the direction precisely to have the base of your rasgulla ready.
- The chhana(ছানা), also referred as chenna, paneer or the fresh homemade ricotta is very important to make soft, delicious rashgulla. While making chhana, do not boil the milk after adding the lemon juice or vinegar as that’ll lead to chewy Rasgullas as oppose to soft melt in the mouth traditional roshogolla.
- Wash the chhana/cheese thoroughly. This is vital to eliminate the lemony or vinegary taste in Rasgullas. I turn on the tap water and let water flow on the strainer with chhana and wash the cheese with my fingers very nicely!
- Drain all water from chhana. If chhana is not drained well, it will be impossible to knead and shape the cheese balls. Make sure the rasgulla chhana is crumbly and slightly dry yet a little moist. Too dry and the Rasgullas will be dry, too moist and the Rasgullas will scatter in the syrup. I usually hang chhana in cheesecloth overnight, or atleast 7-8 hours.
Tips about Kneading to make Rasgulla:
- Kneading is very important! Knead till you get a smooth non-sticky dough like consistency and the cheese leaves out some ghee/oil. Rub the chhana with fingers and heels of the palm till the chhana comes together as a smooth dough ball, neither too hard nor too soft.
- How long should you knead the chhena? About ten to fifteen minutes or until you are able to form a very smooth dough with no cracks. If you like to take a short cut, get your food processor out and process the chhana for about 45 seconds to a minute or until the crumbly chhana becomes a dough ball. My mom always kneads the chhana for roshogolla with her fingers and the heel of her palm. I always use the food processor for a faster prep time. I haven’t seen any difference in taste or texture for using the food processor. To me it is like staying true to authenticity while keeping it modern and saving time.
- When rolling the cheese balls between your hands, leave no cracks.
Tips about Sugar Syrup to make Rasgulla:
- I use a sugar water ratio of 1:3, 1 cup sugar for 3 cups of water which gives medium sweet Rasgullas, perfect for our taste. If you want them sweeter, you can increase the amount of sugar. My mom does 1:2 sugar water ratio.
- You may chose to add cardamom or rose water to the syrup for flavoring. Both adds fabulous aroma to Rasgulla. I usually don’t use anything.
- Rasgullas need plenty of space in the syrup to expand and keep their round shape. If the syrup is thick, less or there are too many balls crowding the pot, rashgullas will either become flat or lose their shape.
Tips about Cooking Pot to make Rasgulla:
- When chosing a pot, measure in a way that there will be some space for the rashgollas to breathe after they double up in size. Make sure that the pot has a tight lid to cover the rashgullas when cooking.
- Pick a deep and wide pot for the Rashgolla to cook. If needed, make the Rasgullas in two batches so that they have enough space to breathe and expand.
- No matter how much chhena you make, or how many balls you form, or the type of pan you use, remember the sugar water ratio you want to use. Accordingly fill your pot. You want to fill little less than 3/4 of the pan so the cheese balls have enough space to float while cooking.
- I use a deep wide pot with glass lid and enjoy watching the rashgullas doubling up. If the rashgollas come in contact with air while cooking, they do not expand properly, so a glass lid works beautifully for me. If you don’t have a glass lid, tame the curiosity to open the lid. Most of my previous attempts of making rashgolla failed because I couldn’t resist opening the lid. As soon as the hot rasgulla comes into contact with air, they shrink resulting in chewy, harder Roshogolla.
TRADITIONAL SERVEWARE SOURCES
Brass Serveware | Burlap Placemat
Tips about Shape of Rasgulla:
- The cheese balls will double in size while boiling in the syrup so size them accordingly on how big or small you want them.
- If you get flat or shapeless rasgullas, it is because they aren’t getting enough space to expand. Pick a bigger pot or make your rashgolla in multiple batches.
- Rasgullas need plenty of space in the syrup to expand and keep their round shape. If the syrup is less or there are too many balls crowding the pot, rashgullas will either become flat or lose their shape.
- When your cheese balls are ready, heat the water and sugar in a pan over medium flame until the sugar melts. Add the balls into the syrup as soon as it comes to a boil, and you see the first bubbles appearing. Too thick syrup will result in deformed rasgulla.
Tips about How to Test Rasgulla is cooked:
- To check if the rasgullas are cooked, drop one in a cup of water. If it sinks, it is done. If it floats, boil for a couple of minutes and check again. I usually don’t do this test because in my experience opening the lid of the pot alters the texture of the rasgullas. Through experience, I have perfected the timing and the recipe I use now never gave me uncooked roshogolla. However, this test is widely used.
Master these roshogolla troubleshooting tips by paying attention to each very carefully for fabulous rasgulla. Last but not least, if you believe in prayers, pray! I always do when I make rashgollas so that they turn out perfectly ☺
The fabulous roshogolla recipe here.
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wow…thank you for the amazing tips and tricks. I gave up on making Roshogolla after couple of failed attempt! This inspires me to give it a try again. Can’t wait for your recipe 🙂
I can totally relate Eliza. I had given up on making roshogolla until I asked around few experts. Following these tips, I’ve successfully made rasgulla several times last year and this year. Go ahead give it a try one more time. Hopefully they’ll turn out great this next time.
Thank you for stopping by!
yummy rashagolla…and super yummy clicks dear
Thank you dear. Glad you find the rashgolla delicious.
You are awesome!
Thanks dear Sharmin. I’m pretty sure, you are awesome too 🙂
Thank you for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon.
This is so great! I’ve been trying to write down my mother’s amazing mishti and pitha recipes for several years, but there are always tips and tricks that are left out. I thought I had a foolproof roshogolla recipe…until I started having problems. 8-| I’d never heard of the air contact problem, as I used to boil uncovered until the gollas puffed up all the way and then covered. But that might be my problem! 🙂 Also, I found the food processor made my chhana too soft. Do you pulse it? The stand mixer with a dough hook produced better results for me and the cleanup felt easier as well. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you Khaleda. I didn’t know about the air contact problem for the longest time and I think it was a major reason for all my rosogolla failures. Totally agree that clean up wise the dough hook would be easier.
I did find the food processor made the channa too soft ONLY when I had problem with my chhana. If there was still water in the chhana, the food processor made the chana soft instead of a dough, making it was hard to shape the balls. When the chhana is strained properly, you’ll know to turn off the processor when the crumbly chhana becomes like dough while processing.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope your next batch of Roshogolla comes out perfectly. Hope to see you around soon again.
It looks like a fairly elaborate recipe. I am bookmarking it for when I’ll have time a patience to make something special!
Roshogolla is not a hard recipe but need to follow the exact procedure. I hope you give it a try sometimes. Thank you.
Mine just split otherwise they were ok
What is wrong with them
Hmmm…it could be the heat was a little too high or there were still some water in the chana. One of these two resutls in split rasgulla. Sorry, it didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Please don’t stop. It took be more than 10 tries. Follow the tips carefully next time. Hope it’ll be better next time you try.
Hi.. i tried making rasgulla today but failed. coz my chhena turned out to be very creamy.. no matter how much i kneaded it remained cream like and too smudgy sticking over my hands.. whats is the reason.. I ised full fat cows milk. curdled the way explained.. but chhena soon after curdling was like that only.. i thought after strainng it for 5-6 hours it will tighten up a bit.. but it was just like hung curd or may b softer.. 🙁
Hi – I ran into this problem a few times in the beginning. It was mainly because the chhena was separated from the whey before it curdled properly or it needed little more souring agent. When the chhana is curdled make sure the curdle sizes are as in the photo in the chhana post. If I’m not mistaken, your curdles were probably a bit smaller than those in the photo which retain a lot of water making them creamy. Hope this helps.
these are some gorgeous looking rasgullas just like cotton balls , feel like grabbing one !
You are welcome to grab one anytime!! Satisfaction guaranteed.
Thank you for stopping by! Hope you’ll try the recipe.
Hi, thanks much for sharing such a detailed recipe with all the tips. I must say I’ve rarely seen people share tips with so much care, and I really appreciate it!
My first attempt at making roshogollas was pretty successful. The shape was retained well, none broke and quite soft too. They were a tad bit more chewy than I would have liked. I boiled a batch of 12 for about 38mins, with no holes in the lid etc… Is it possible that I overcooked them?
Thanks again!
Hi Aditi! Congrats on the successful roshogolla in your first try. It sounds like the chana may have retained some water resulting the roshogolla to be bit chewy. You can try 35 minutes next time, but make sure the water from the chana is drained very well.
Here’s to many more bathces of perfect roshogolla! Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to seeing you on the blog soon again!
I tried saveral times ,but it become harder and never become soft.I tried at my home remembering your tips . After getting success I will give you hearty thanks.
Oh, I know the feeling, Ajay. Glad that you are willing to give it a try again. Look forward to hearing your success story!
Hi, I’ve tried making rosogolla twice. The first time they just came apart in the syrup, I’m pretty sure I didn’t drain them well. The second time they retained their shape, were soft but not spongy. They were just very sweet cheese balls. The outer layer tasted proper.
1) What could have gone wrong?
2) Once the syrup starts to boil should I leave the heat on medium or should it be very low?
3) Can I use full fat Buffalo milk?
4) If I cook them in batches, will the syrup thicken? Should I add water before I start a new batch?
I made the balls right but it does not absorb the sugar solution.What might be the possible reason.
Not sure what you mean by the balls do not absorb sugar. Can you please provide little more information? Thanks.
hi thank you so much for wonderful inputs. im planning to incite guest tomo n tried makinhing ras malai yesterday. used to make in past. made locely 16 big patties thinking they will be puffed up nicely but they dint. and have become hard.. had put 6 cup water n 4 cup sugar.! first put in big pan covering with glass lid but they were going on boubdries n hitting each ither as boil was in middle. so i took them out one by one and transferred in handi cooker. after readibg your tips feel like that was my mistake. as i did this within a minute of boilibg so it obviously came to air. now planning to make some more! my question is as u sai if u want to nake more make in batches so can i sue same syrup for next batch?cause tarla dalal said if syrup has been cooked ur rasgulla wont be right..! so wondering. new syrup for new batch?
Your recipe was great. But I made couple of mistakes. One, as you told I opened to check if there were cooked thrice. When i opened I saw they were bigger in size, very fluffy and white in color. I closed the lid and switched after 2-3 min.. But when I opened to eat them they shrinked, had become dirty white and was kinda dry. Another mistake i did was I was preparing the sugar syrup while kneading the dough. Thot the tome ing will be perfect. But the sugar syrup started boiling and my dough wasnt. So switched off the syrup and made rasagulas balls. Then again switched on and put them in. My syrup in the end is very sweet and thick. I added 2.5 cup water and 1.5 sugar. We trued a few. I was not happy with the end result. Especially after seeing the fluffy ones just before turning off. The rest of them are sitting in my fridge now. Is there a way I can rectify them now??
Hi Hema – Once the rasgullas are cooked, I don’t know of a way to rectify them. You can try microwaving for few second before eating to make them softer. Better luck next time.
My rasgulla taste creamy , texture is good and gullas r soft but taste wise it’s more towards creamy taste , is it okay or under cooked ?
Hi – If the rasgullas are melt in the mouth, then it’s good. If it’s creamy like yogurty creamy, then may need to cook some more. Also, make sure there is absolutely no water in the chana. Thanks for trying and stopping by.
Hi, thanks for the tips.
I made rasgullas for the first time and they looked good. But they were little hard to chew with a little sour taste, though the sugar was perfect. Wish that they turn out well and perfect next time !!!!
I hope they turn out perfect for you next time too. There are 2 reasons why the rosogolla may be sour –
1. Too much vinegar/lemon juice was used
2. The chhena wasn’t washed in water to get rid of the souring agent.
Hope this helps. Look forward to hear about your next Rasgulla making adventure.
hi,
my chhena balls got dissolved in sugar syrup please can you guide why it got dissolved.
feeling sad. 🙁
Hi Kumud – sorry to hear about your rosogollas. I don’t have enough info to really pinpoint. Sounds like the chhena may have some water or the syrup wasn’t hot enough.
I’ve been sad many times from rosogolla disasters, so totally understand your feeling. Give it a try again following the tips I shared. Better luck next time 🙂
Hi your recipe was great thanks
Hi Sheeru! Thank you for trying and letting me know! Hope you’ll try other recipes as well.
Can I use Curd to curdle milk. I tried Rasgulla twice. It came out chewy,. Inside looks cooked and okay but chewy. I could hear sound when I eat 🙂
I don’t think curd will curdle the milk for roshogolla. It’s better to use a souring agent such as lemon or vinegar. Thanks!
Dumb me… I made the sugar syrup and let out cool before I dropped in the balls. I got misguided that of the syrup is too hot, it will break the balls. I left it in the syrup overnight but nothing has happened. Syrup was made in 1:1 can I boil it now, in the morning and see if it works? Should l add more water?
Hi Shree! You are not dumb. Making rasgulla is tricky. To be honest, I am not sure of the result of boiling the cheese balls after they have been sitting in the syrup the whole night. I’m thinking they may harden up.
What you can do though is make shondesh with them. Just cook the balls and adjust sweet until it becomes a halwa like consistency. You can make balls or cut into desired shapes.
Hello Mohsina here,i have read your recipe of making rasgulla it’s quite inspiring and I just can’t resist to make my share of rasgulla following your instructions but before giving a try I need to clarify whether mixer can be used instead of food processor.
Hello Mohsina! Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you are inspired to make rasgulla. As long as your mixer is dry, I’m sure it’ll work. A lot of people just use their hand to smother the chana too. Feel free to share your creation and tag #withaspinrecipe on social media.
Best wishes!
Hi!
Very efficiently explained recipe.
I tried it but some issues were there. I kneaded for 10 mins and at the end my hands were quite moisturised by the ghee released by the dough. The same ghee was visible in bubbles type format in the sweet water after the rasgullas were cooked. Then i tasted and realized i had added less sugar so i separated the warm rasgullas from the water and added more sugar to the water. Then again added the rasgullas back to sugar added water. All this while the warm cooked rasgullas were being exposed to air. And after I refrigerated, the ghee in the sweet water solidified. Meanwhile, rasgullas were very spongy and perfect in texture when they were just cooked. After 4 hours in the fridge they are now still soft but not chewy at all. They are breaking in small brittles in the mouth. Please help.
P.s. I did open the lid twice to check on the boiling rasgullas. Had no clue I wasn’t supposed to lift the lid.
This is second time I tried to make rosgulla..But,every time it just split away in the syrup and becomes too soft.I dont to wgat is the problem.
Hi i tried preparing rasgulla but they have become hard and chewy mainly because my syrup was very thick. Is there any way to rectify them?
I think you explained you problem, Vani. Dilute the syrup a little and follow the tips I’ve shared.
Thanks for this wonderful detailed recipe! I am going to try it ASAP. What type of full fat milk does one use? Cow or buffalo?
I use cow milk.
Hi I’m Neeta Jadeja. Followed the tips to the core and it turned out great only exception was shape .Will try again. Beautifully explained. Thank you so much .
Excellent tips! Thank you
You are welcome.
Hi, Thank you so much for sharing Tips and Tricks with very great details. Yesterday I tried Roshogolla but it didn’t come out so nice. This article has all the answers to make a perfect Roshogolla. Definitely I’m gonna use your tips and tricks while I prepare next time.
Dear,
I am making rasgulla with skimmed milk power and following full steps being explained by your goodselves, but always the rasgulla are becoming hard, while after dipping in sugar syrup also. Please guide how this rslasgula balls will become soft
Sandeep
Skim milk will harden your rasgulla. Whole full cream milk is the best to achieve soft roshogolla
Can you make them in pressure cooker?
No, not in pressure cooker
I tried making Rasgulla today, he second time.
Te dough was perfect; the balls made were also good. When i put the balls into syrup, it looked nice and puffing up for 7-8 minutes. Then I just took a break and covered the Pan with a lid.. Suddenly, a boil came and the sugar syrup came out and when I opened the lid, all the balls got scrambled. I wish if I had not taken a break and would have kept a closer watch.
Can you pls tell me what went wrong and what should I do not with the scrambled chenna (dipped into syrup)
If you follow the instructions and the tips, it should come out perfectly. Also, the instructions says not to open the lid.
Excellent tips with comple details. You have shared each and every step with so much detailed explanations that it’s really commendable. Tips like air contact and small chhena are really new to me.
I too have failed many times in making these but are now again geared up reading your tips. Shall definitely try and get back to you.
Thanks a lot for this post.
My pleasure. Hope your next rashogolla attempt is a successful one.
Great explanation as I was looking for some secret to make chhena I too was following the same procedure but I opened the lid and was scared that it will break so took out quickly uncooked
Hello,
Every time I make Rasgulla, while boiling they are round and fluffy, but they shrink once they are cooling down.
What can be issue?
Please help
Maybe you need a bigger pot to make the rasgulla
Hi every time I make rasugulls they are very good while boiling they take shape double in size n all but they turn a bit chewy. I don’t know the exact time to boil in sugar syrup for 1litre milk. I make sugar syrup 1:3 ratio
I made rasgullas today but they came out to be very chewy and hard… Maybe because of over cooking… Is there any way out there to fix them and make them soft again….
Hi dear!! Just today I made a failed attempt at making rasgulla.. and the problem was same that after chilling they became hard. So my question is can I soften them now??
My rasgulla ball size never increased. I don’t know why 🙁
Hi.. My rasgullas were spongy and fluffy..but somehow..it tasted like chhena.
Unlike the ones we taste in shops. How can i get rid of this chhena taste?
My rasgullas doubled in size when they were cooking,but once I opened they shrinker as they came in contact with air.so when should I open the lid after switching of the gas ???till they are cooled ? Plz do answer
Thanks for sharing the nice recipe..I have tried making rasgullas twice but both the time they didnot increase in size much and remained flat. What could i be doing wrong?
I live in US. I tried making cheena with whole milk and used Lemon juice and also Citric acid. Each time, the cheena turned like a paste and could not use to rasugulla.. I am not sure, what mistake I did? I followed all the step that you have mentioned.
Please provide any tip that I can use. Hope you will answer.
Sounds like your milk didn’t curdle enough. Please follow the recipe.
Hi, is there a specification to the the of sugar to be used also? Can I use brown sugar instead of white?
I never use brown sugar.
Thanks for sharing the recipe
Hi, I followed a few other recipes before landing onto your recipe. And I got good results. The rosogullas are soft and great tasting with perfect syrup. However, somehow the size remained almost the same, the size didn’t increase! Can you suggest any tip about it?