These Are the Cardamom-Scented Indian Sweets We Can't Stop Eating (2024)

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These cardamom-scented milk-based sweets are popular in sweet shops all over India—and are surprisingly easy to make at home.

Chetna Makan

Born in India and now a resident of Canterbury, England, Chetna Makan is a former contestant on The Great British Bake Off who has published five books on Indian cooking.

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Published February 22, 2024

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Why It Works

Whole milk delivers enough milk fat for rasgulla that are properly soft and tender, not chalky and grainy.
Kneading the chenna (milk solids) mixture until completely smooth ensures that the rasgulla will hold together and have a light texture.

Rasgulla is a milk-based sweet you can find in all Indian sweet shops, often sold alongside gulab jamun. It is made with one main ingredient—full fat milk. The milk is coagulated with citrus juice, just like a fresh cheese, to make milk solids, which are then kneaded with cornstarch to form delicate dumplings. The ideal texture is like a sponge that absorbs the sugar syrup rasgulla are cooked in, so when you bite into one, it bursts and releases the sweetness in your mouth.

These Are the Cardamom-Scented Indian Sweets We Can't Stop Eating (3)

Though it is popular all over India, rasgulla is especially beloved in western India. Many years ago I went to Kolkata to do research for my cookbook Chai, Chaat & Chutney, and there I discovered the many varieties of these rasgulla, including ones flavored with saffron, cardamom, pistachio, jaggery, and more. There's also a related dessert called ras malai, in which rasgulla are soaked in thick, sweetened milk flavored with saffron and cardamom. No matter the variation, these fluffy little clouds are so light and sweet that it's almost impossible to eat only one., is a popular dessert to serve at weddings.

When I was growing up, my mum, who made everything at home, didn’t make rasgulla. In fact, rasgulla is not a very common homemade sweet, which always made me assume that it would be quite tricky to make. But in reality, it is one of the easiest Indian sweets you can make at home. The recipe has only two main ingredients: milk and sugar.

These Are the Cardamom-Scented Indian Sweets We Can't Stop Eating (4)

There are just a couple of tips to follow for success. One is to use whole milk; you cannot make this recipe using low-fat or skim milk, as the milkfat is essential for the rasgulla's final, tender texture. And to get the softest, fluffiest rasgulla, make sure you knead the chenna (milk solids) for at least 10 minutes. That might seem like a long time, but it's the only way to make them as soft and spongy as they should be.

You can serve rasgulla freshly made and warm but they can also be refrigerated in their syrup for up to three days, which means this is a great make-ahead dessert. Once chilled, there's no need to warm them back up—they're great straight from the fridge.

These Are the Cardamom-Scented Indian Sweets We Can't Stop Eating (5)

Recipe Details

Rasgulla (Indian Milk Dumplings in Sweet Syrup)

Prep45 mins

Cook15 mins

Total60 mins

Makes16 Each

Ingredients

4 cups (1L) whole milk
2 tablespoons (20ml) fresh lemon juice
3 cups (700ml) water
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed or split
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in lemon juice, then remove from heat. Let stand until coagulated, about 5 minutes.
Line a fine-mesh strainer or colander with a large piece of muslin or double layer of cheesecloth and set over a large bowl or pot. Pour coagulated milk into strainer, then gather the cloth in the sieve and place a heavy weight such as a couple large cans or stone mortar and pestle on top and let drain for 15 minutes. Remove the weight and twist the gathered muslin to squeeze out any remaining excess liquid.
In a large saucepan or sauté pan, heat the water, sugar, and cardamom pods over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, until beginning to simmer.
Meanwhile, transfer the drained chenna (milk solids) to a clean surface and sprinkle the cornstarch on top. Knead the chenna, pressing it with the heel of your hand, until smooth, 10 minutes. (The mixture will be crumbly at first but will smooth out as you knead it.) Divide into 16 equal portions and shape each portion into a small ball.
Reduce syrup heat to low and gently add the balls. Cover and cook until the rasgulla have doubled in size and are soft and spongy, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer rasgulla and some of their syrup to individual serving dishes and serve.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer or colander, muslin or cheesecloth

Make-Ahead and Storage

Rasgulla can be made up to three days ahead of serving; store both rasgulla and syrup together in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once refrigerated, they are best served chilled, as reheating will degrade their quality.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1828	Calories
34g	Fat
359g	Carbs
33g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories	1828
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g	43%
Saturated Fat 19g	96%
Cholesterol 103mg	34%
Sodium 474mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 359g	131%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 352g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 12mg	60%
Calcium 1191mg	92%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 1403mg	30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)