Curd Cheese Balls in Syrup, India

Bring the milk to the boil then take off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and mix until the liquid begins to curdle.

Pour into a sieve lined with a tea towel and rinse well with water to remove the citric acid. Squeeze well, using the towel, and then drain in the sieve for around 20 minutes, weighing down with a saucepan, for example, to squeeze the liquid out.

Give the curds one last squeeze then transfer to a bowl. Add the cornflour and knead for around 10 minutes until you have a smooth mixture with very few cracks.

Boil the sugar with the cardamom and water in a pressure cooker without the lid on. Remove the cardamom pods. Shape the cheese into small bowls and place these in the boiling syrup. Put the lid on and cook for around 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow the steam to evaporate. Tip into a bowl. Leave to cool and then chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.