I wanted to continue the Indian theme after those amazing Samosa Wraps, and a quick Pinterest search revealed this Ras Malai Mousse recipe. I have never had Ras Malai, so I had to do some research. There are variations, but the basic recipe is discs or balls of paneer cheese cooked in sweet syrup until they puff up and become spongy. Then they are soaked in a thick sweet milk sauce that is simmered with saffron, cardamom, almonds, pistachios, and rosewater. This Ras Malai Mousse recipe takes the sweet spiced milk part of ras malai and makes it into a creamy mousse dessert. It looks and sounds lovely, and I can’t wait to try it!
Ras Malai with a twist makes a delicious fusion dessert for Diwali. Here’s Ras Malai Mousse that’s light, airy, and creamy. This dessert is eggless and gluten-free.
The Ingredients
I had a couple of items for this recipe hiding in my pantry, but not many. Really it was just the sugar, dried roses, and slivered almonds. I usually have cardamom but I happened to be out of it.
No worries—I found almost everything at my usual grocery store. Milk, heavy whipping cream, pistachios, and cashews were easy to find. And speaking of cashews, I chose raw instead of roasted. My slivered almonds were also raw.
The only item I couldn’t find locally was the vark (edible silver leaf/foil). I had to order that from Amazon and found some for around $5.
Silver (and gold) leaf comes in sheets or flakes. I chose flakes for this recipe, but either would work. Sheets have to be removed from a paper backing first while flakes have no paper backing and come in a jar. Both need to be broken into smaller pieces and applied with tweezers because they will stick to your fingers.
The Process
This recipe is a two-parter, and it begins with making the ras malai liquid. Think of it as a flavoring base for the mousse.
Making the Ras Malai Liquid
It’s a simple mixture of simmered milk with sugar, saffron, cardamom, almonds, and cashews. The author suggests using a wok in her blog post, but I don’t have one. I used a 12' nonstick skillet instead.
I put the milk on to heat while I crushed the nuts with a rolling pin. This technique is quicker and neater than chopping since there are no bits flying off the cutting board.
The recipe does give the option of adding extra sugar, but I kept to the amounts listed. The finished mousse was nice and sweet, so I don’t think I would change that if I make this recipe again.
I also kept the heat on the low side to prevent the milk from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. I use an electric stove and kept it in the 4-6 range, or medium (the heat goes from 1 to 10).
Once my ras malai mixture was done, poured it into a storage container. I let it cool for a little while uncovered before covering and refrigerating overnight. Tip: I also put my stand mixer’s bowl into the refrigerator at the same time so I could skip that step the next day.
Making & Garnishing the Ras Malai Mousse
Making the mousse was even easier than making the liquid. All this portion involved was using a mixer to whip the heavy whipping cream with the ras malai liquid.
The recipe does say to use a hand mixer, but I opted for my stand mixer with a whisk attachment. All I had to do was take the stainless steel bowl out of the refrigerator and add the ingredients as directed.
While the mousse was mixing I crushed some pistachios and rosebuds. When I was satisfied with the texture I poured it into my smallest dessert dishes. they are 8.1 ounces, so I only got 3 servings instead of 8. To get 8 you will need 3-ounces glasses or dishes.
Believe it or not, I had the most trouble with the garnishes. The silver foil in particular. It was so thin and delicate that I had to turn off the air conditioner to keep it from blowing away.
It also can’t be handled with fingers so I had to find some tweezers to apply it. I just picked up small pieces and touched them to the mousses until they stuck. I’m not sure if that’s the correct way to do it, but it worked for me.
Timing
This recipe lists 10 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to cook, and a total time of 40 minutes. Here’s how my time was spent:
- 16 minutes to make the ras malai liquid (prep + cooking)
- 12 minutes to make the mousse
- 3 minutes to garnish
- 31 minutes total
I thought I went slowly and cautiously, but I somehow managed to make my mousse in less time than I thought. I was so sure I would find I went way over the time listed. Perhaps it was because I only had to pour and garnish 3 servings instead of 8? I’m thinking 5 more dishes would have brought me closer to the 40-minute total time.
