rosogolla, often spelled rasgulla, is a popular Indian ball-shaped sweet prepared from chhana (fresh milk curd) soaked in sugar syrup. These moist treats are a common sight at sweet shops across the subcontinent. In India, rosogolla is primarily associated with West Bengal, where it is just one, if perhaps the best known, of numberless chhana-based sweets. Chhana from cow’s milk is considered best for rosogolla. To make chhana, acid—most traditionally the whey from a previous batch—is added to hot milk to coagulate it. Once the curds are drained, artisans take extreme care to squeeze out any excess water. The mixture is traditionally kneaded by hand on a wooden board, although kneading machines are now common. The chhana is rolled between the palms to form small balls, which are then cooked in sugar syrup. Though the ingredients are simple, the technique demands considerable skill. In Mistanna Pak, a two-volume compendium of sweets published in 1906, Bipradas Mukhopadhyay cautioned readers to be attentive while boiling the chhana balls. After adding the balls to the bubbling sugar syrup, cold water must be sprinkled over them to prevent them from crumbling—a common defect.
