Rasmalai (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Primal)

When I made this, I actually went through the whole process of making the paneer from scratch. You need quite a bit of milk to yield the amount needed for this recipe, but the recipe is very simple and also kind of rewarding to make. Maybe it's because I never made cheese from scratch before, but I couldn't get over the fact that I was making cheese. It's just such a "gourmet" thing to do. Making paneer from scratch is time-consuming though, so I decided to just adjust this recipe to a one step ricotta paneer I learned about from my friend's mother. But if you want the experience of making your own paneer for rasmalai, here is a link to get you started. 

For those doing low-carb, rasmalai using Splenda as a sweetener comes to 6.6 grams of carbs per serving. 

 Ingredients (5 servings)

• 16 oz ricotta 
• 2 c almond milk
• 1 c heavy or whipping cream
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1 clove
• 1/2 c raw honey (primal) or a 1/2 c Splenda (low-carb)
• Chopped pistachios

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix ricotta with 1/4 c of sweetener. Spread the ricotta mixture all over a baking sheet, to about 1/2 an inch thick. Bake the ricotta for 25 minutes. 
2. While the ricotta is baking, add milk, cream, and remaining half of the sweetener to a pan. Let the mixture come to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reduces. 
3. While the mixture is reducing, place both the cardamom seeds and clove in a strainer, and let them steep in the boiling liquid for about 5 minutes, or until they both start to flavor the milk to your liking. Reduce the milk mixture by 1/3, then set aside to cool. 
4. Once the ricotta is done baking, cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into squares or circles. Place the ricotta into a container, then pour the milk mixture over the ricotta. Place the container into the fridge until the rasmalai is completely chilled. Garnish with chopped pistachios when ready to serve. 

Nutritional Info (for the entire primal recipe)

Calories: 2032 calories

Total fat: 152 grams

Total carbs: 127 grams

Dietary fiber: 2 grams

Net carbs (entire recipe): 125 grams 

Protein: 58 grams

Nutritional Info (for the entire low-carb recipe)

Calories: 1696 calories

Total fat: 152 grams

Total carbs: 35 grams

Dietary fiber: 2 grams

Net carbs (entire recipe): 33 grams 

Protein: 58 grams