The original term for ras malai is "rosh malai (Bengali: রস মালাই) which derived from the Classical Bengali word "rosho malai" with the same meaning.
The term is made with a Bengali word Rosh (Bengali: রস) which means sap and a Hindustani word Malai (Hindi: मलाई, Urdu: ملائی) which means clotted cream hence the name of the sweet sap of clotted cream.[3]
The Sen brothers of Comilla operating under the Matri Bhandar brand claim to be the original maker of the dessert. On the other hand, K.C. Das Grandsons also claims that it was invented by K.C. Das in Kolkata.[9][10]
Ras malai consists of flattened balls of chhena soaked in malai (a type of clotted cream) flavoured with cardamom. Milk is boiled and a bit of vinegar or lime juice is added to split it. The whey is discarded and the milk solids are drained, cooled and kneaded into a dough. The dough is divided into small balls and the balls are cooked in hot water with a bit of rose water added. The balls are then cooked in milk with saffron, pistachios and kheer as stuffing.[11]
Different types of ras malai can be found in different areas such Rasmanjuri of Rangpur division. In Dhaka and Rangpur, the ras malais are similar in shape to the rasgullas,[12] and round discs.
^Mahmud Nasir Jahangiri (2012). "Sweetmeats". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
Media: Ras malai
