It is a season of merry and festivities around the country. Several communities are celebrating their regional new year. Punjabis celebrated Baisakhi with much fervour on 14th April, Malayalis are immersed in celebrations of Vishu, and people in Assam are enjoying the festive cheer of Bihu. Bengalis all over the country are celebrating Pohela Boishakh, or Bengali new year 2019. In Bengal and Bengal dominated states like Tripura, Pohela Boishakh is a grand affair in which people enjoy lavish traditional meals and attend local fairs and cultural festivities. According to the lunisolar calendar, followed by Bengali Hindus, Pohela Boishakh marks the first day of the month of Baisakh. The month is very crucial for the taking count of all the harvest. The festival is also very significant for merchants and traders, who open their new accounts book - the Haal Khaata - to mark the beginning of the new accounting year. On the auspicious day, Bengalis wake up early have a bath and paint alpona (Bengali version of rangoli) in their courtyards. They also dress up in traditional attire and sing folk tunes. Pohela Boishakh is very rich in terms of food - the lavish feast has choicest of fish, rice and vegetarian delicacies. Panta Ilish, shutki (dried fish), rice, Channar Dal, Dhokar Dalna and a variety of other non-veg dishes are some of our most favourite Pohela Boishakh treats. No Bengali feast is complete without a round of wholesome desserts. From bhapa doi, sondesh, rasmalai, jilipi and malpua to kacha golla, lobongo lotika and rajbhog, the list of sweet treats enjoyed on this occasion are endless. Speaking of Bengali desserts, there is no way you can not talk about the festive staple roshogolla. Spongy and syrupy, this delicious chenna-based treat is a part of every major occasion like Durga puja, Kali Puja marriages, childbirth etc.
(Also Read: 11 Best Bengali Recipes | Easy Bengali Recipes)
You can find them in sweet shops in your local neighbourhood, but since they are so easy to make, why not make them at home?
Here are some tips to get perfect shop like rasgullas at home:
1. Make sure the balls are made of fresh chenna or paneer.
2. When you are boiling the milk, make sure you have separated the cream on top of it. Lower the heat and add lemon-water mixture to it gradually, and see the milk curdle. The curdling of milk is very essential for good quality chenna, so make sure you do that properly.
3. After you put down the heat, make sure you leave the mixture for five minutes. This helps it settle.
4. Now, slowly drain the water from the chenna mixture and leave the chenna in a colander for at least four hours.
5. Mash the mixture well, make sure there are no grains and you mould smooth balls.
Here Is A Delicious Recipe Of Rasgulla That You Can Try Today. Do let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
Shubho Nobo Borsho, everybody!
About Sushmita SenguptaSharing a strong penchant for food, Sushmita loves all things good, cheesy and greasy. Her other favourite pastime activities other than discussing food includes, reading, watching movies and binge-watching TV shows.