Cheese dumplings in saffron milk (Rasmalai)

1. For the cheese, bring the 1 litre of milk to the boil, turn the heat right down and curdle it by adding the lemon juice, diluted with 3 tablespoons of water, a spoonful at a time. Strain through muslin, rinse with cold water, squeeze and hang to drain for 30 minutes.

2. For the saffron milk, reduce the 750 ml of milk by about half in a wide pan, stirring often (25-30 minutes). Stir in the sugar, cardamom and saffron and take off the heat.

3. Rub and knead the still-moist cheese on a clean work surface with the heel of your hand for 8-10 minutes until completely smooth, slightly greasy to the touch and no longer crumbly. Shape into 12 small balls and flatten each into a crack-free disc about 4 cm across.

4. Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a wide pan. Add the discs, cover and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, during which they will swell to about double.

5. Lift out the discs with a slotted spoon, gently squeeze out the syrup (so they soak up the milk like a sponge) and put them into the saffron milk.

6. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, then serve cold sprinkled with roughly chopped pistachios and almonds.

Tip: One of Bengal's finest desserts: the soft, spongy cheese discs become completely soaked in the fragrant, thick saffron milk. Kneading the cheese is the most important step: if it isn't smooth enough, the discs fall apart when cooked. If you're in a hurry, you can stir 1-2 tablespoons of condensed milk into the saffron milk instead of reducing it for so long.