Vegan Rasmalai

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Refrigerating Time 1 hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 15 rasmalai balls

Ingredients

Rasmalai “cheese” balls

1 cup cashews
2 tbsp lemon juice
10 oz. firm tofu (~ ¾ of a block)
¾ cup almond flour
¼ cup + 2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

Rabri

3½ cups soy milk *sub another unsweetened plain plant-based milk
½ cup coconut cream *optional; see note
10 strands of saffron
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup crushed pistachios and almonds
¼ tsp rosewater *optional

Instructions

Rasmalai “cheese” balls

Soak cashews in water for at least 4 hours. Alternatively, soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes. At the same time, press tofu for at least 15 minutes (1 hour recommended) to squeeze out excess moisture.
Blend cashews with lemon juice in a small food processor to form a creamy paste. Add this paste to a mixing bowl.
Add the tofu, sugar, almond flour, and salt to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together. If it is still too moist, add another ¼ cup of almond flour. Once it comes together nicely, make rasmalai balls with ~ 2 tbsp of the mixture. Place the balls on a plate and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or even overnight (this is what I did)!
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. They should be soft, but not moist.

Vegan Rabri

Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp of soy milk. Add the rest of the soy milk to a large pot and bring the milk to a boil.
Once the milk is boiling, add sugar, cardamom, and coconut cream. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until it is as thick as you'd like.
Just before taking off the heat, stir in saffron, crushed pistachios and almonds, and rosewater if using.
Remove from heat and refrigerate until it is chilled.

Assemble the rasmalai

Put the rasmalai balls in a large dish. Pour the rabri over the balls so that the balls are entirely soaked in the rabri. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavor of the rabri to soak into the balls.
Serve chilled and topped with pistachios, almonds, and dried roses.

Notes

*Coconut cream is used to thicken the rabri a bit without adding an overwhelming coconut flavor. You can refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight or use a can of coconut cream.

Keyword Indian sweets, plant-based recipes, plant-based sweets, rasmalai, vegan desserts, vegan rasmalai, vegan treats