276) GÛL GÛL GAALS

GÛL GÛL GAALS

FIRST MILK RASGULLAS

A SYRUPY DESSERT

Introduction:

Do you want to know why I call this dish gûl gûl gaals? It is all because of my dear elder brother who was a bully (and still is) during our childhood days. As soon as he saw me or one of our several cousin sisters who all had chubby cheeks, his hands would quickly rise up to grasp them on either side and strive to pull them apart, while he laughed and shouted “Gûl gûl gaal! Gûl gûl gaal!” amidst our screams.

Whenever we spotted him, our palms would instinctively rise to protect our cheeks. Later, after his marriage and ours, we all escaped from his cheek squeezing fingers while his dear plump wife gets their wholehearted attention. This dish reminds me so much of chubby cheeks and of my dear brother that I have had to name it gûl gûl gaals. I am sure you will love this chubby, delicious, nutritious dessert.

Ingredients:

     a)   For the gaals

     1)    First milk (thick buttery cow’s milk obtained the first time after calving – for details, go to my first milk pickle recipe) – 500 ml.

     2)    Sugar – 125 gm.

     3)    Baking powder – 1 teaspoon

     4)    Rose essence – 5 drops

     b)   For the syrup

     1)    Sugar – 400 gm.

     2)    Water – 500 ml.

     3)    Cardamom pods – 2 Nos.

     4)    Rose essence or vanilla essence – ¼ teaspoon OR saffron – 1 pinch (best choice)

To Cook:

Mix the sugar, baking powder and the rose essence with the first milk thoroughly and pour it into a non-stick mold or an ordinary mold lined with non-stick cooking paper or butter paper. Put the mold in your steamer and steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Dip in a knife to see if the milk is fully cooked. The knife should come out clean. The cooked first milk will have the consistency of cottage cheese (Paneer). Set aside to cool.

When cool, take out of the mold and cut into cubes or into pieces of any size or shape of your choice. You can even use small shapely cutting molds to suit the occasion. Set aside.

Now select a medium sized vessel or wok to prepare the syrup. Pour in the water and tip in the sugar. Set the vessel on high heat. Stir occasionally till the sugar melts. As soon as the syrup comes to a boil, tip in the first milk cubes. Meanwhile, shell and crush the cardamom seeds and tip them in. Finally, tip in either the rose essence or the vanilla essence or the saffron.

Boil for 3 minutes more and switch off the heat. Let cool naturally. Serve gûl gûl gaals cold or chilled.

Enjoy!!!