Top 5 Rasmalai Places

Think of this sweltering heat and then think of that cooling sweet, milky ras (juice) dripping down your chin as you slurp up the traditional mithai made from chenna (cottage cheese), originating from Bengal. Who doesn’t love rasmalai? Well, the lactose intolerant ones, aside. There is no dearth of this treat in our city of food lovers, but we have to pick our Top 5 and so here you have it. Tewari’s, D Damodar, Sweet Bengal, Kamdar Sweets and Mishty Bela. Each one unique in their taste and flavour profile of their star sweet with most available to rasmalai lovers across the city, the country as well. All you have to do is pick your location, visit if it’s close enough for you, choose your flavour, place your order and bring home the saccharine goodness that is rasmalai. Make sure you have your napkins at hand

Tewari Sweets

A crowd-puller for its sheer variety, coming all the way from Calcutta, since 1948, is Tewari’s by Banwarilal Tewari. From the Bengali sweets itself – the sandesh is a must, make note – there’s enough and more for any sweet lover to indulge in, but the rasmalai is in the spotlight here. The Angoori Rasmalai is light and smooth, flecked with kesar and bits of pista, that makes it so divine. Like pillows of understated sugar going into your mouth, we tell you. There are four stores in Bombay that cater to your rasmalai cravings located at Opera House, Sion, Borivali and Juhu. At Rs 36 a piece, the Angoori Rasmalai comes in two pieces that are just the perfect size for one to relish it all. No sharing! 

D Damodar Mithaiwala

Right at the main junction of the Dadar TT Circle is this famous farsan and sweet shop, established pre-independence in 1937. What was formerly known as Dayaram Damodar Mithaiwala has for a long while been called Damodar by all of Bombay’s foodies, who flock from all over – city outsiders, too – for a taste of their freshest dhoklas, that historical sutarfeni and the creamiest rasmalai. It is a tad pricey but it’s the quality and the taste that you pay for. At Rs 200 for 250 g, Damodar’s rasmalai is sinful and will have you coming back for more. Visit the store or order home, either way, you will not be disappointed with this version, done in nothing but pure cow ghee.

Sweet Bengal

Every Bengali-sweet lover has flocked to this chain of sweetmeat shops by Speciality Restaurants – the group behind Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta – since 1995. Kheer Khodom, Mango Sandesh, Chomchom, Mishti Doi have all been favourites of the sweet-toothed ever since. But the one that we put in our must-have each time we order from Sweet Bengal is the Rosomalali! Don’t you just love how sweet the Bengali language is. You can feel the ras when you say the name itself and once you bite into these sweet pleasures, you can taste Bengal in all its sweet goodness. It is sweetened with jaggery and is light on the palate. At Rs 35 a piece, Sweet Bengal’s rosomalai is worth it.  

Kamdar Sweets

Kamdar, at Prarthna Samaj in Girgaon, has been sweetening lives since 1997 with bestsellers like kaju katli, kesar malai puri and sugarfree gulkand. Rasmalai, you ask? But of course. Here, the Bengali sweet is served with less sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives and fresh and light as can be. We can tell you the rasmalai in its milky white syrup topped with pista shavings and kesar strands is not heavy and certainly not saccharine. Owner, Himanshu Kamdar swears by this mithai from his store, which can be delivered to you across the city. One piece of can be yours for the relishing at Rs 45. There’s plenty more at this sweets and dry fruit store. Pay a visit, why don’t you and enjoy a rasmalai fresh as can be.

Mishty Bela

The tip of South Bombay has its own little gem on Walkeshwar Road, for all things Indian – from sweets to snacks, healthy and gluten-free, too. For the past 25-plus years, Mishty Bela, by Vijay Varjivandas Shah, has catered to the tastes of Malabar Hill residents with premium ingredients that result in products that are set apart. You could either make the schlep there to their tony store or call and place your order for delivery. Choose from their vast selection, from sweets to snacks, sugarless treats and lots more. But order their rasmalai from their Bengali sweet array, you must. This is the most expensive of our rasmalai contenders, after all, it’s the location that matters, too. But above that, you pay Rs 400 for 4 pieces, based on the high quality of the most hygienically-treated ingredients. It’s Kesar Rasmalai that’s silky smooth and indulgent. The heady aroma of those saffron strands will certainly do you in, even if you’re not a rasmalai fan.