Kheersagar

Paneer (cottage cheese) dumplings are soaked in sweetened, thickened milk and flavored with cardamom and rose water.

It is a popular Oriya sweet dish that literally translates to Oceans of Milk in the Oriya language. This dish is very similar to Rasmalai, however, the milk base in kheersagar is thicker, acquiring the consistency of Rabri.

Serve it chilled, garnished with chopped nuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon full cream milk / whole milk
• ½ cup sugar (modify according to your choice)
• 1 tbsp cardamom powder
• Few strands of Saffron
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 2 tbsp chopped nuts
• 1 can (2.2 lb) of Bikaji Rossogolla (any other brand will do)

Method:

• Bring the milk to a boil in High heat. Reduce the heat to Medium-Low heat and let it simmer. Keep stirring it every 5-10 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the sides and burning.
• After an hour, add the sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well.
• Now add the Rossogollas. Before dropping the rossogolla in the milk, squeeze it to remove the sugar syrup that comes in the can.
• Let it simmer for some more time till the milk becomes thick. Its consistency should be thick like Rabri (more than evaporated milk but less than condensed milk).
• Remove from heat. Add saffron strands and rose water and refrigerate it.
• After refrigeration milk thickens more so before serving Kheer Sagar, check the consistency of milk (rabri). Add little more boiled and cooled milk if you find it thicker than required.
• Garnish with chopped nuts, few strands of Saffron and pinch of cardamom powder.
• Serve cold as dessert.

Do You Know?

Chhena (Oriya) or Chhana ( Bengali) is fresh, crumbly, unripened curd cheese eaten in India and neighboring Bangladesh. It is used to make desserts such as rasgulla.

It is created in a similar process to paneer except it is not pressed for as long. It is most popular in Orissa and Bengal and is made from water buffalo milk.