Ras Malai Donuts (Eggless, Baked)
Eggless Ras Malai Donuts takes on the flavors of the classic Indian dessert - ras malai. These baked donuts are infused with flavors such as saffron and cardamom and dipped in a glaze enhancing those same flavors. With just 30 minutes of prep time, they're to make and perfect for Diwali, an Indian Fusion party, an Afternoon Tea party, or Mother's Day.
Servings: 6 donuts
Ingredients
FOR RAS MALAI DONUTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- pinch saffron
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
FOR SAFFRON-CARDAMOM GLAZE
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 1/2 tablespoon warm milk
Instructions
- Heat Saffron-Infused Milk. Add milk to a small pot. Heat the milk on low-medium heat until hot, not boiling point. Next, add a pinch of saffron once little bubbles form and the milk starts to heat up. Add 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom. Mix. Heat milk until it's hot. Once done, you'll end up with light yellow milk. Remove from the stove and set aside to cool.
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease Donut Pan. Spray the donut pan using an avocado oil spray (coconut oil spray also works). Melt Butter. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Mix Wet Ingredients. Combine all the wet ingredients into a medium-sized bowl - cooled saffron-infused milk from Step 1, melted butter, avocado oil, sugar, and yogurt. Use a whisk to mix all the ingredients well.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl - all-purpose white flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add Wet Ingredients to Dry. Add all the wet ingredients from Step 2 to the dry ingredients. Gently mix, but do not overmix. The result should be a sticky and thick batter. This is what you want!
- Add Batter to Ziploc Bag to Pipe Batter. Place the inside of the Ziploc bag inside a glass. Transfer all the batter into the Ziploc bag. Squeeze the batter towards one side of the Ziploc bag and use scissors to make a hole large enough for the batter to come out. Gently squeeze the Ziploc bag until the donut cavity is two-thirds full. Repeat until your batter is finished.
- Bake Donuts. This recipe makes 6 donuts. Place the donut pan into a 350-degree preheated oven. Bake the donuts for 13 minutes. Perform the toothpick test to make sure a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool for 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to dislodge the donuts from the pan. Flip the donut pan onto a wire rack and the donuts should effortlessly release.
- Prepare Glaze. Microwave 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk for 20-30 seconds until hot. Add a pinch of saffron and 1/8 tsp of ground cardamom. Mix well. Add powdered sugar to a small bowl and add the saffron & cardamom milk mixture. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Add a little more milk if you need to thin out the glaze.
- Glaze Donuts. Dip the front side of the donut into the glaze. Donut is glazed. Place the glazed donut on a wire rack. Garnish with chopped pistachios and edible rose petals on half the donut. Enjoy!
Notes
- Room Temperature Yogurt - The yogurt should be at room temperature.
- Saffron-Infused Milk - When heating the milk on the stove, it should be scalding, not boiling. Alternatively, you may microwave the milk if you prefer. Allow the saffron milk to cool before combining it with wet ingredients.
- Batter - Do not overmix the batter, else it'll be tough.
- Edible Rose Petals - You may purchase edible rose petals here on Amazon.
- Saffron - Use good quality saffron for this recipe for the flavor and light yellow color. Saffron/Kesar can be purchased on Amazon too.
Nutrition
Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg