Rasgulas

This is from 'Madhuri's Kitchen', an excellent book on Indian cooking.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  lb panir
• 1⁄2 lb  of drained ricotta cheese
• 2  teaspoons semolina flour
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6  sugar cubes, slightly crushed
• 2 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 5  cups water
• 2  teaspoons rose water or 2  teaspoons orange flower water or 2  teaspoons kewra essence
• 2  tablespoons pistachio nuts, chopped

Directions

1. Combine paneer, ricotta, flours and baking soda and knead firmly until the cheese dough is shiny and pliable.
2. Shape into 16 balls, incorporating a piece of sugar cube into the middle of each one.
3. Boil the sugar and water together and simmer for 5 minutes to make a syrup.
4. Put half the syrup aside to cool in another container.
5. Bring the rest of the syrup to boil and lower the heat to simmer.
6. Lower the cheese balls in gently and simmer on very low heat.
7. Every 15 minutes or so you add a half a cup of the cooled syrup and 2 tablespoons of COLD water.
8. You repeat this until you have used up the syrup and the cheese balls are twice their original size.
9. Then take everything off the heat and gently stir in the flavouring essence and spoon the syrup over the cheese balls.
10. Leave this to cool and serve at room temperature garnished with the nuts.
11. Do not refrigerate, as this toughens the rasgulas.