Rosogolla (Bengali Spongy Cheese Balls in Syrup)

Instructions

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a large heavy pot, stirring so it does not catch. Turn off the heat and let it settle for 1 minute. Add the diluted lemon juice 1 tbsp at a time, stirring gently, until the curds separate and the whey turns pale greenish yellow.
2. Pour the curds into a muslin-lined colander and rinse under cold running water for 1 minute to remove the lemon taste. Gather the cloth, squeeze out the water gently and let it drain for 20 to 30 minutes, until crumbly but still slightly moist.
3. Tip the chhena onto a flat plate. Knead with the heel of your hand for 8 to 10 minutes until completely smooth and slightly oily, with no grains. Knead in the cornstarch. Divide into 16 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth, crack-free ball.
4. In a wide pot of at least 24 cm (9 1/2 in), boil the sugar, water and cardamom until the sugar dissolves.
5. Slide the balls into the rapidly boiling syrup, cover and boil on high heat for 12 to 15 minutes. They will swell to double their size. Sprinkle in 60 ml (1/4 cup) water twice during cooking to keep the syrup level.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rose water. Let the rosogolla cool in the syrup, then chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold.

Tips

• Knead the chhena until smooth and slightly oily. Any cracks in the balls will make them split in the syrup. Boil them in plenty of rolling syrup, because they need room to expand.
• Use fresh, full-fat pasteurized milk. Ultra-high-temperature milk will not form proper curds, and low-fat milk gives dry, rubbery balls.