How to Make Traditional Bal Mithai at Home from Dry Milk and Sugar

With the arrival of the holiday season, many different sweets appear in homes. Although you have probably tried white rasgullas, having colorful and fluffy rasgullas on the festive table will delight everyone, from children to adults.

Commercial colorful sweets often contain harmful chemicals and dyes, which negatively affect health. Therefore, it is recommended to make rasgullas at home using fresh milk to obtain pure chhana and coloring them with natural dyes to get safe and fluffy treats. The simplest instructions and secret tips for preparation are presented below.

For preparation, you will need: 2 liters of whole milk (for making chhana), 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, 3-4 cups of sugar (for syrup), 4-5 cups of water, a few drops of natural food coloring (light pink, yellow, or green), as well as cardamom powder or kewra water for flavoring.

The main secret to getting soft rasgullas lies in the technique of kneading the chhana: it must be kneaded with the back of your hand for at least 7-8 minutes until smooth. The correct stage for adding color is as follows: after thoroughly kneading the chhana, it is divided into 2-3 parts, and 1-2 drops of different natural food colorings are added to each of these parts, mixing gently so that the color is evenly distributed when forming the balls.

First, 2 liters of milk are brought to a boil, and then curdled using lemon juice. The curdled milk is strained through cheesecloth and rinsed with clean water to remove acidity. Excess moisture from the chhana is squeezed out and placed on a plate, then kneaded by hand for 7-8 minutes until it becomes smooth like butter.

Next, the smooth chhana is divided into portions, the desired natural color (pink, yellow, green) is added, and small, smooth balls are formed. In a large, wide pot, 3-4 cups of sugar are heated together with 4-5 cups of water until boiling. When the syrup boils vigorously, the colorful rasgulla balls are dropped into it one by one. The pot is covered with a lid and cooked over medium or medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes. You will see the rasgullas increase in size, becoming twice their original volume.

After this, turn off the heat and let the rasgullas cool completely. After cooling, they are ready to serve.

Zucchini (lauki) is considered a very healthy vegetable, but often children and adults refuse to eat it. If members of your family do not like zucchini puree or soup, you can prepare a delicious and nutritious lauki roti (flatbread) from this vegetable.

Despite being a very simple dish to prepare, it has such an exquisite taste that children will eat their entire lunch without objection. This is an ideal and healthy option for both breakfast and dinner. Below is a simple preparation method with secrets known since ancient times.

For preparation, you will need: 1 medium fresh and soft zucchini (grated), 2 cups of wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and ajika, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala and asafoetida, 2-3 finely chopped green peppers and a little fresh cilantro, salt to taste, and 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil for brushing (moyan). Ghee or butter will be needed for frying.

First, peel the zucchini and grate it. Add a little salt to the grated zucchini and leave it for 5 minutes to release excess juice. This juice should not be thrown away but used when kneading the dough.

In a large bowl, mix the wheat flour, grated zucchini (after squeezing out excess liquid), cumin, ajika, all spices, green pepper, and cilantro, as well as 1 teaspoon of ghee. Then, using the remaining zucchini juice, knead a soft dough (without adding extra water).

Form small balls from the dough. Dust them with a little dry flour and roll them into a round and slightly thick flatbread, similar to paratha or regular roti.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and place the rolled flatbread. After light frying on both sides, brush it with ghee or butter and fry until golden and crispy. The finished, very soft, nutritious, and tasty lauki roti is ready. It is recommended to serve it hot with yogurt, pickled cucumbers, or your favorite sauce.