Ingredients

• 2 litres - milk, boiled, chilled, malai skimmed
• 2 - glass ice-cold water
• 2 - healthy reethas (soap nuts)
• 5 cups - sugar
• 12 cups - water
• 2 to 3 drops - yellow food colour
• 1 or 2 drops - kewra essence
• 14 to 15 - pistachios, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
• 14 to 15 - saffron strands
• 14 to 15 - sugar crystals (square ones)
• 2 tbsp - lemon juice, strained, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

How to Make Rajbhog

• Soak reethas in 1/2 cup water, keep aside. Remove outer skin of pistachios, keep aside.
• Heat milk and bring to a boil.
• Add lemon juice, stirring gently.
• When milk begins to curdle well, take off fire.
• Add 1 glass of cold water immediately.
• Pour through a clean muslin cloth.
• Hold chenna pouch under running tap water, to cool fully.
• Hang for an hour, or press under a heavy stone.
• When excess moisture is removed, transfer to a large plate.
• Make sure chenna is not too dry (crumbles) or too watery (sticky).
• Add food colour, knead well till smooth and soft.
• Put water and sugar to come to a rolling boil in a large wide vessel.
• Make medium sized balls of chenna.
• Insert a pistachio, saffron strand, sugar crystal (one of each) in centre of each.
• Shape again into a ball, with stuffing in centre.
• Put into boiling water, remove nuts from water, add this water to boiling vessel.
• Loosely cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove cover, check if done: when lightly pressed it should spring back.
• Take off fire, pour remaining cold water over balls.
• Add essence, sway vessel in circular motion, to mix in.
• Cool to room temperature, transfer to refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
• Serve chilled, removing from liquid when serving.