ras malai

On the 13th day of the dark half of the month of Ashwin, over a billion people around the world light candles and bring out their best new clothes, to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.  For some, it is a day of celebrating the harvest, the move into shorter days, the ancient triumph of good over evil and Rama’s defeat of Ravana to win the return of his wife.  For others, it is more, the final day of the lunar year and the start of the new. Regardless of reason, all celebrations mark a turning point and a remembrance, and the beginning of something new.

Of course, no Indian festival is complete without decadent sweets and tablesfulof food.  Among these, ras malai stands out as my clear favorite, a milky fatty dessert that dominates the other more sugary items available.  It is typically Indian, curd-based and spice-kissed, evoking sensory comaraderie with paneer and chai. For that matter, it is quite similar, made with the same soft cheese and spices as its two famous cousins.

Traditions abound with the biggest festival day of the year in India.  Presided over by the goddess Laxmi, purveyor of wealth and prosperity, believers adorn themselves with new fancy clothing and glittering jewelry.  Home furnishings are updated, gifts are given and received, and blessings are counted during this transition into a new year.

Among those gifts exchanged are the aforementioned sweets, ras malai among them.  In India, gift-giving of sweets is an art.  Beautifully made, artfully decorated, and wrapped in glittery boxes replete with tulle and ribbon, the packaging is almost as exciting as the gift inside.  Upon opening the box, each piece of ras malai has its own little space, neatly divided and perfectly nestled in a bed of sweet milky syrup spiced with nutmeg and cardamom.

The making of ras malai is time-consuming, but a wonderful way to ring in the new year.  It starts with farmers’ cheese, also the same process to make paneer.  Milk is curdled and then drained in a cheese cloth, until only the curds remain.  They are then kneaded and turned until they are silky smooth, with a light creamy finish.  The curds are formed into small round balls, and lightly pressed into thick discs with the hint of an indentation.   A brief 5-10 minute dip in a warm sugar syrup bath follows, cooking the discs to form a chewy yet melty texture.

The ras malai is then soaked and stored in a thick milk cream, made by reducing milk sweetened with sugar and sprinkled with whole cardamom pods and flecked with grated nutmeg.  The milky sauce provides a second creamy texture that plays off the ras malai discs perfectly.

The sweetness of the dish evokes sweetness of character, so tradition says. Diwali celebrates the return of Rama, after his 14-year exile, with his dedicated wife and brother in tow.  Rama and Sita represent the perfect couple, her devotion matched by his courage, and the sweetness of perfect love.