Roshogolla, fresh cheese balls in syrup (Bangladesh)

Preparation

1. 1

   Bring the milk to a boil in a large pot, then remove from the heat and add the lemon juice little by little while stirring, until the milk curdles clearly and separates into clear whey and white curds (the chhena).

2. 2

   Pour everything into a colander lined with a clean cloth, rinse with cold water to remove the sour taste, then squeeze and hang the cloth for 30 minutes to drain the chhena well.

3. 3

   Knead the drained chhena on a work surface for 8-10 minutes with the semolina, until you get a smooth, supple, lump-free dough (this is the most important step: poorly kneaded chhena will give cracked balls).

4. 4

   Shape small, perfectly smooth balls with no cracks at all.

5. 5

   Bring the sugar to a boil with 1 litre of water and the cardamom to make a light syrup.

6. 6

   Drop the balls into the boiling syrup, cover and cook over medium-high heat for 15-18 minutes: they will swell and double in size as they absorb the syrup.

7. 7

   Let cool in the syrup then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving well chilled, with a little syrup.