RICOTTA CHEESE RAS MALAI

How do you improve a Indian dessert and make it Americanized? Hmmm... What do you do if you donot get Indian Paneer ?? Hey ! I know !! Use good old Italian Ricotta and instead of boiling milk forever to get a thick sauce, why not use condensed milk ? Okay... Can I use Vanilla to flavor it ? Food color to replace saffron ? NO WAY !! Cardamom powder and saffron stays and Yesss ! That's It !!! Ricotta Basundi is born!! :D



YOU NEED:
1/4 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk mixed with enough milk to thin it
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
Pinch of Saffron mixed with milk

Heat all the above in the microwave until creamy but not very thick.Chill in the fridge.

RICOTTA ROUND:
1/2 Cup Ricotta cheese ( Low- Fat is okay)
1 tbsp or more Plain Flour
2 tbsp or more Sugar
Little Cardamom Pd


GARNISH:
Few toasted Almonds
Pinch of Cardamom Pd
Rose Petals

HOW TO:
1. Mix and knead all the above lightly to one firm ball or smaller balls adding some more or enough flour if required.
2. Place it on a no-stick oil sprayed baking pan, and bake at 350F for 15-20 mins in the oven until firm. Cool. Chill in the fridge for sometime until firm.
3. Take out the ball from the fridge,pan fry with 1 tsp ghee quickly in a non-stick pan until the bottom and top gets a golden color. Chill again.

NOTE:Baking first is recommended to cook the flour and then get the golden color by pan frying gently, works well this way.

TO SERVE:

1. Take out chilled basundi sauce and pour into a bowl.
2. Place in ricotta ball in the center gently!
3. Garnish sprinkled with little powdered cardamom, toasted flaked Almonds and Rose petals if you happen to have them !!

Serve and don't forget to smile!!!

NOTE: Please do not add the warm Ricotta ball into warm basundi sauce. Believe me, it will sink like Titanic!! ( Yeah! it has happened to me before)..LOL..