Spongy juicy milk dumplings in sweet syrup. Is there anything more decadent and heart-warming? Read on to learn about Rasgoula, a Mauritian Indian sweet. And how you can easily make your own at home.
INGREDIENTS
9
RECIPE STEPS
11
TOTAL TIME
55 m
Why You Need This Recipe
- This recipe uses fresh full cream or whole milk instead of powdered milk for a more wholesome and less processed dessert.
- This is an authentic Mauritian recipe for Rasgoula
About Rasgoula
Rasgoula is a sweet milk-based dessert enjoyed in Mauritius during holidays and celebrations such as Divali, Eid and Navratri. These smooth, round balls are made from milk curds that are deep fried and then served in a cardamon-flavoured syrup. This is a fun recipe to try for Divali.
What You Will Need
Muslin Cloth
Muslin is available from most kitchen wares shops and is essential to drain the curds. If you don’t have a shop near you, you might be able to order them online from marketplaces such as Amazon.
Star Ingredient
Cardamon (Elayti)
Cardamon (also known as elayti or cardamom) is a very popular spice in Indian and Mauritian cuisine. In general, cardamon has a strong, unique taste with an intensely aromatic fragrance.
READ MORE: Why Cardamon is such a ubiquitous spice in Indian desserts →
Other Ingredients
- Milk, full cream
- Lemon Juice
- Water, ice cold
- Plain Flour (also known as All-Purpose Flour)
- Rice Bran Oil, or other neutral-flavoured oil for deep frying
- Sugar
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
- If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand to juice, you can use the bottled lemon juice from your local supermarket.
- The ice water is an important part of the cooking process to prevent the curds from cooking further after you have removed them from the heat. This will give you softer curds for a tastier texture.
- The plain flour helps the balls of Rasgoula to bind and retain their shape for frying but you don’t have to add the plain flour if you prefer not to use it. This will result in Rasgoula that aren’t as smooth and more ‘airy’.
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Rasgoula.
1
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, then immediately add the lemon juice and stir until the milk curdles.
2
If the milk isn’t curdling, you can add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice while stirring.
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
3
Once the milk looks like it has curdled completely, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to rest for 2 minutes.
4
5
6
7
8
9
To make the syrup, bring the sugar, water and cardamom to a boil in a saucepan.
10
Add the Rasgoula balls to the syrup, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the balls have swelled slightly and absorbed some of the syrup.
11
How to Serve Rasgoula
Rasgoula is best served chilled with a generous amount of syrup. If you are entertaining guests, you can garnish the Rasgoula with some chopped pistachios for an impressive and stunning dessert.
Recipe FAQs
Why does your Rasgoula look like Gulab Jamun?
In Mauritius, Rasgoula is deep-fried and does in fact look like the Indian dessert, Gulab Jamun. However, they in fact taste quite differently from each other because they are made using different ingredients with a different process. Gulab Jamun is made from Khoya or milk powder, whereas Rasgoula is made with curdled milk.
Where can I find muslin cloth?
Muslin is available from any kitchen wares store or your local fabric store. However, if muslin is difficult to find, you can use other natural fabrics such as cotton or linen.
Printable Recipe Card
Rasgoula
Equipment
- 1 Muslin Cloth
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 1 L full cream milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 L water ice cold
- ¼ tsp plain flour
- 1 cup rice bran oil for deep frying
Syrup
- 80 g sugar
- ½ L water
- ¼ tsp cardamon ground
Garnish
- pistachios chopped
Complete Recipe Steps
- In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, then immediately add the lemon juice and stir until the milk curdles.1 L full cream milk, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- If the milk isn’t curdling, you can add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice while stirring.
- Once the milk looks like it has curdled completely, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to rest for 2 minutes.
- Pour the ice water onto the curds to prevent them from cooking further and to keep them soft.1 L water
- Line a colander or sieve with a muslin cloth, then pour the curds through to strain. Tie a knot in the muslin cloth and squeeze the curds to remove the excess water.
- Turn out the curds into a large bowl and add the plain flour. Rub the flour into the curds using your fingertips, then knead until you get a smooth dough. This can take between 15 to 20 minutes.¼ tsp plain flour
- Using your hands, form the dough into approximately 12-15 even balls.
- Deep fry the balls in oil until golden.1 cup rice bran oil
- To make the syrup, bring the sugar, water and cardamon to a boil in a saucepan.80 g sugar, ½ L water, ¼ tsp cardamon
- Add the Rasgoula balls to the syrup, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the balls have swelled slightly and absorbed some of the syrup
- Serve chilled in small bowls with a generous helping of syrup and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios (optional).pistachios
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand to juice, you can use the bottled lemon juice from your local supermarket.
- The ice water is an important part of the cooking process to prevent the curds from cooking further after you have removed them from the heat. This will give you softer curds for a tastier texture.
- The plain flour helps the balls of Rasgoula to bind and retain their shape for frying but you don’t have to add the plain flour if you prefer not to use it. This will result in Rasgoula that aren’t as smooth and more ‘airy’.
