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Handiہانڈیاردو
Desserts & mithai

Ras Malai Recipe

رس ملائی بنانے کا طریقہ

Home-style ras malai: soft milk-powder dumplings poached straight in sweet cardamom milk so they soak it up, then chilled with saffron and pistachios.
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Illustration of Ras Malai

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Marinate / soak

4 hr

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Spice

Mild

Ras malai is the mithai shop favourite for Eid and weddings: soft, spongy patties floating in cold, thickened milk. Sweet shops make them from chhena (fresh curds), but most Pakistani homes use milk powder, which is easier and very forgiving. The small discs are dropped into simmering milk, where they double in size and cook through while the milk thickens around them.

Ingredients

8 servings

For 8 servings

Measures

For the milk

For the ras malai

Method

  1. Bring the milk to the boil in a wide pan with the sugar, cardamom and saffron, then lower to a gentle simmer.

    ⏱ 10 min

  2. Meanwhile, mix the milk powder and baking powder, then add the melted ghee and beaten egg and mix lightly into a soft, sticky dough. Rest it.

    ⏱ 5 min

  3. Grease your palms with ghee and roll the dough into about 18 small balls the size of a big marble, then flatten each one gently into a smooth disc with no cracks.

  4. Drop the discs one by one into the simmering milk in a single layer. They will sink, then puff up and rise. Do not stir; gently swirl the pan instead.

  5. Cover partly and simmer on low heat until the ras malai have doubled in size and the milk has thickened slightly. Spoon milk over them now and then.

    ⏱ 20 min

  6. Turn off the heat and add the kewra. Let them cool in the milk, then sprinkle with nuts and chill well before serving.

    ⏱ 240 min

Tips for the best result

  • Make the balls small; they double in size, and big ones stay dense in the middle.
  • Use a wide pan so the discs have room to swell without touching each other.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the milk hard after the discs go in. They break apart; keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • Stirring with a spoon. The soft discs tear; swirl the pan or spoon milk over them.

How to serve

Serve well chilled, two or three pieces per bowl with plenty of milk, after an Eid or dawat meal.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge in its milk. Do not freeze.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
290kcal
Protein
11g
Fat
13g
Carbs
33g
Fibre
0.4g
Sodium
150mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 92

Whole dish ≈ Rs 730 · 98% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Ras Malai: questions people ask

Why did my ras malai break in the milk?

The milk was boiling too hard, the dough was too wet, or the discs had cracks. Keep a gentle simmer and add a spoon more milk powder if the dough will not hold its shape.

Can I make ras malai from chhena?

Yes. Curdle 1.5 litres of boiling milk with lemon juice, drain and knead the chhena smooth, shape discs, and cook them in light sugar syrup before soaking in the thickened milk.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: رس ملائی بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/ras-malai · Handi, DanixSoft