Sharing an atypical Unconventional Baker recipe for a change (i.e. no "lazy day" dessert bars, raw cheesecake, or cute hedgehog cookies, etc.). I finally figured out a dairy-free version of one of my old favorite Indian desserts: rasmalai -- something I've not had in almost a decade!
If you're wondering what rasmalai (or ras malai) is, it's a traditional Indian sweet that consists of cottage cheese-like balls in a sweet creamy and beautifully spiced sauce infused with the flavors of cardamom and saffron, and topped with chopped pistachios. The result is a sort of pudding that's creamy, delicious, and just bursting with flavor.
Many years ago, going out for Indian food used to be something I did more days than not per week. I loved the super flavorful, spicy, and comforting warm food. The fact the area of town called "Little India", bustling with some amazing Indian restaurants, was right on my doorstep didn't lessen the habit.
Once, a server at one of my regular spots brought me a surprise dessert -- I looked at it curiously because it didn't look like anything I could recognize. Something white and saucy in a cup. But when I tried it I fell absolutely in love with this unusual but delicate, sweet and creamy little treat. Rasmalai became one of my favorite desserts from then on. Top favorite in Indian sweets, closely followed by gulab jamun and mango lassi.
After going dairy-free and refined sugar-free, moving out of the big city and away from the convenience of restaurants, and switching to mostly homemade food anyhow rasmalai quickly dropped out of the picture. But since starting this blog several years ago it's been on my mind to attempt to make it at home. Only challenge: making dairy-free cottage cheese balls! I had no idea how to go about it. The prospect just seemed intimidating. I did make a few attempts on occasion, but never managed to come close.
Recently I've been on a bit of a separate spree of making different homemade vegan cheese. In the process I finally got workable little cottage cheese balls I can be proud of :) Rasmalai is finally back on the menu!
Traditional "rabri" sauce (the sauce rasmalai is served in) is usually a condensed milk-based sauce that's prominently flavored with saffron and cardamom. The sauce part of this dessert was not super challenging to nail -- cashews (aka dairy-free life-savers!) make for delicious creamy things, including a condensed milk-like sauce.
I sweetened my "rabri" sauce with maple syrup, went for traditional spices only (i.e. no vanilla here, etc. because I wanted it to stay close to the originals I loved so much). I did add some rose water in -- I know not all traditional recipes use that, but my first and favorite rasmalai contained it and I absolutely loved it, so in it went, and I have no regrets.
There is a fundamental difference though to the process of making these dairy-free "cottage cheese" balls as compared to the traditional method of making "chena" balls. The traditional cheese balls are made through a process of curdling hot full fat milk with lemon juice, then straining out the liquid. The remaining mixture is (sometimes mixed with a bit of flour or cornstarch and then) kneaded and formed into balls that then get cooked in boiling sugar water before being added to the creamy "rabri" sauce for eating.
My recipe is definitely an unconventional workaround for this process. The cashew-based "cottage cheese" balls meant to replace the chena here take longer to curdle and form into a workable texture than the traditional (so plan to make a day ahead). Moreover, the initial resulting texture of the mixture is softer and although totally doable, it doesn't hold up perfectly when boiled and the resulting "cheese" balls are a bit too soft for my liking using the boiling method.
I also from the get go didn't like the idea of making the boiled "sugar" mixture because I use maple syrup as my sweetener, and it's certainly not as cheap as plain sugar -- to make the boiling syrup (which combines a good dose of maple syrup with water), only to discard this mixture when done boiling the balls felt somewhat wasteful.
So instead I lightly baked my "cheese" balls to firm them up a little and they worked out great. The texture comes out perfect that way, and the whole process is super simple.
There are two small down sides to this method however that I have to confess up front so nobody comes after me with pitchforks here ;) :
- When the traditional balls get cooked in the sugar water syrup they get infused with sweetness on the inside. Because I skipped that step, I opted for adding in some maple syrup into the "cheese" balls mixture instead. It worked, although they are not as sweet that way (compared to the boiled version I made of this recipe), but the sweetness of the sauce compensates for it. I thought the texture was more important here, and the baked balls worked great for that.
- In the traditional process of making the cheese balls part, the liquid gets squeezed out of the milk and lemon juice mixture really well, and as a result most of the lemon juice gets drained right out so that the tang is gone out of the recipe. In the recipe below though that doesn't happen as I didn't want to also squeeze out the maple syrup and lose some of the cashew liquid as well through the nut-milk bag in the process. As a result there is a mild lemony taste to the balls.
Of course, as I continue making this, I'll keep experimenting and if one day I figure out a better work around to address the few small issues above I'll be sure to update this space.
For now, I'm sharing this recipe with you knowing that it's not 100% authentic, but comes very close to the version I used to love and have missed over the years. After experimenting with many, many batches of this treat I finally landed on something I personally enjoyed very much (and yes, there was a happy dance involved when it finally came together!), so I figured some of you out there would love to have this option, imperfect and all, for a dairy-free and refined sugar-free version of this lovely treat. It's delicious, flavorful, a little unusual, and a lot of fun to make, and all those things make it share-worthy for me.
Dairy-Free Rasmalai
A refined sugar-free and vegan rasmalai alternative: a traditional Indian dessert consisting of soft cottage cheese balls in a sweet creamy cardamom and saffron sauce.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 7 rasmalai balls
- Category: Pudding
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
"Cheese" Balls:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup hot water (should be hot or very warm, not boiling)
- ⅛ tsp salt
"Rabri" Sauce:
- 1 cup hot boiled water
- a pinch of saffron
- 2 cups raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ⅔ cup more water
- 1 tbsp rose water
- ½ tsp salt
- seeds from 2 green cardamom pods**
- ⅛ tsp cardamom powder
Garnish:
- a few tablespoon chopped pistachios (or a mix of pistachios and almonds)
- a pinch of crushed dried edible rose petals
Instructions
1. Blend all "cheese" ball ingredients in a high power blender until completely smooth. Pour this mixture into a nut-milk bag (over the sink), place the nut milk bag onto a small strainer over a bowl, gently twist the top of the nut milk bag closed, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 8-10 hours).
2. Once the "cheese" is ready, pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line a small baking sheet with some parchment paper and set aside. When you open the nut milk bag you should have a formed soft ball of "cheese" at this stage and some liquid drained into the bowl underneath the strainer (the liquid can be discarded). Using a small cookie scoop (or can just use a spoon), scoop out about 2 tablespoon of the "cheese" mixture and gently form into a ball with your hands. Place this ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture (spacing the balls on the tray at least an inch apart) -- you should end up with 7 balls in total. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 mins, then remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
3. While the "cheese" balls are baking, prepare the "rabri" sauce: place a pinch of saffron in a cup of freshly boiled water and allow to sit and steep for a few minutes (to infuse the water with the saffron flavor and color). Place this saffron water infusion (including the saffron strands) in a power blender. Add all remaining "rabri" ingredients and blend into a creamy smooth sauce.
4. Once the "cheese" balls are baked, they can be enjoyed with the sauce. You can either divide them into small serving dishes and cover with the "rabri" sauce, or can place all on one larger dish (or glass storage container). Garnish with pistachios and rose petals. Enjoy right away or allow the balls to sit in the "rabri" sauce in the fridge for a few hours to become more infused with the flavor of the sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
*To pre-soak cashews: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.
**Lightly crush the pod shells and extract the round seeds inside (discarding the shells).
Isha R says
Hi
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Need your suggestions on replacing Maple Syrup with any another sugar form like stevia Sugar.
Looking forward
Regards
The Real Person!
Hi Isha, if you're looking for a sugar-free alternative I'd suggest trying a stevia-based syrup (like from the company Pyure, as an example) as it will be closest in consistency to the maple syrup (though the flavors differ from sweetener to sweetener, naturally). Otherwise you can try rice syrup, or coconut nectar, etc.
I haven't tried this dry sugar or stevia powder. I imagine it would be possible to do though, but you might need to add more liquid to help things blend properly and achieve the right consistency, as as you can imagine taking out 3/4 cup of maple syrup (aka a thick liquid) from the recipe and adding in a tiny pinch of stevia powder would alter the consistency. So you'll need to play around with it a little and add a bit more liquid (a little at a time though) until you reach the right consistency and sweetness level to your taste.
If you give it a try with an alternative and end up with something tasty, do share what worked for you. I know there are other readers of this blog who would be happy to hear how it worked out :)
Richa says
Excellent recipe. It's sad to see someone ripping off your technique and selling it as theirs as part of some vegan course.
The Real Person!
Hi Richa, thanks very much! I'm glad you like the recipe.
Thanks for the heads up too. It is disheartening to hear, but at the same time not all that surprising given how much it happens to most recipe websites these days. I have not heard of the specific course you are referring to -- do you mind sharing what it is? I'd be curious to take a look. You can send me an email if you prefer not to post it here for any reason. I know of a number websites who copy my work regularly, but I have not come across a course thus far.
Richa says
Hi I missed your reply. Saw it today. It's a course by yume culinary .
Gwen says
Absolute GENIUS! No other words but thank you so much for doing all of the work. Just FYI, I refrigerated the Chena dough for almost 24 hrs to get it of the right consistency; less than that and it was a bit too soft to handle.
The Real Person!
Hi Gwen, I'm so glad you enjoyed the rasmalai! :) I appreciate your feedback and find it interesting. For me refrigerating overnight is suffecient and the mixture is firm enough to handle, but now that you mentioned it, Janel (the videographer who made the video above for me for this recipe) had a slightly softer cheese consistency as well. Good tip on refrigerating a bit longer -- glad that worked for you.
Gwen says
Absolutely genius!
The Real Person!
Thank you, Gwen! :)
Mita says
What a beautiful blog. I am switching from one recipe to another. The pictures, layout, presentation...everything about the blog is so visually appealing. Your blog was referenced on Totally Unrefined and I am so glad I clicked on the link. Otherwise, I would have missed out on such wonderful high-quality content. Vegan takes on conventional desserts are so incredibly amazing...truly unconventional.
The Real Person!
Hi Mita, thanks so much for your lovely comment! Much appreciated :)
Hadara says
This recipe was amazing… The unconventional baker is definitely a genius. Back in the 80s I used to make it with Ricardo tofu but the macadamia nuts turned out more like the consistency I like I did add a little bit of coconut oil to the recipe to make it a little bit richer. this recipe was amazing…
The Real Person!
Hi Hadara, thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Cassie Tran says
Looks wonderful! I have never ever tried rasmalai, but I've heard of it before. Yours looks gorgeous, especially with the flower petals on top!
The Real Person!
Definitely a must-try then! :)
Praha says
This was so good. Thanks for recreating a treat from my childhood. The sauce was my favorite part here. Well done.
The Real Person!
Thank you so much, Praha. I'm glad you were able to enjoy rasmalai again :)
Samira says
Very good and easy to make. I didn’t expect it will be so amazing
The Real Person!
Hi Samira. Thanks so much for the lovely feedback. I'm so glad you liked the recipe :)
Maha Raman says
Hi Audrey,
Not sure what the lemon really does. Have you tried 'cultured' cashews and then add maple sugar instead of syrup? I culture soaked, pasted cashews for 18-24 hrs (depending on how 'cheezy' I want it tasting) with a couple of vegan acidophilus capsules and sugar. That may help with the tart flavor and moisture content. Lastly, I am reading that some rasamalai recipes have rice powder or some starch component added to the dough to keep it together. Will that help? Thank you !! Maha
The Real Person!
Hi Maha. Thanks for the awesome suggestions.
The lemon juice here helps to culture the "cheese." I've never tried cultured cashews the way you describe them -- sounds interesting and I'll have to give that a try sometime.
While experimenting, I have tried some of the rasmalai balls with rice flour or a mix of flour and starch, as you're right that is the traditional way to make them. In the end I decided to keep the recipe grain-free as that makes it accessible to more of my readers in this case so left it grain-free. That said, I have made "cheese" pancakes using basically the "cheese" culture from this recipe in combination with a flour and they worked great, so if anyone wanted to give those a go in combination with the rabri sauce here I think they would be great together: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/vegan-syrniki-cheese-pancakes-recipe/
The Real Person!
P.S. if you try the recipe out but with the culture you described for the cashews instead of with lemon juice, I'd love to hear how it turned out!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
What an interesting recipe! I love the idea of making the "cheese" balls out of cashews, and they still look so soft and sweet! Topping your creation with pistachios and rose petals was so wonderful. They look absolutely beautiful!
The Real Person!
Thanks Cassie :) Pistachio and rose have got to be one of the best and prettiest pairings ever!
Ashley says
Beautiful and creative recipe! Thanks for sharing the inspiration and thought process behind it =)
The Real Person!
Thanks Ashley!
Ruhi says
I was super excited to see this recipe on your blog. This is my favorite dessert after Baklava. For many years, I did not have the courage of experimenting with this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, Ruhi!
P.S. Oh man, can I tell you of my terrible gluten-free Baklava disaster experiments :D
Lisa says
This looks so beautiful! (I wonder if macadamias would give an even closer approximation due to their higher fat content?)
The Real Person!
Hi Lisa. I've thought about macadamia as well, but didn't have any on hand to play around with. I went for cashews because they are naturally sweeter and milder in flavor. With macadamia, I suspect the recipe would need more sweetness in the "cheese balls" and an adjustment of flavors to taste otherwise. But it's definitely an interesting idea :)