Bring the milk to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and add the lemon juice gradually, stirring gently until the milk fully curdles and clear greenish whey separates from the white curds.

Pour the curdled milk through a muslin-lined strainer, then rinse the collected chenna under cold running water to wash away the sour lemon taste.

Tie the chenna in the muslin cloth and hang it over the sink for 20 minutes so excess whey drains off, leaving a moist but not wet crumbly mass.

Transfer the chenna to a clean flat surface and knead firmly with the heel of your hand for about 8 minutes, adding the flour if needed, until it turns smooth and leaves no grainy texture.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each one between your palms into a smooth, crack-free ball.

Combine the sugar and water in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup runs clear.

Gently drop the chenna balls into the boiling syrup, cover, and boil on high heat for 15 minutes until they double in size and float on the surface.

Turn off the heat and let the rasgullas sit undisturbed in the hot syrup for 30 minutes so they fully absorb the sweetness and firm up.

Leave the pan uncovered on the counter for 1 hour until the rasgullas and syrup cool completely to room temperature.

Refrigerate the rasgullas in their syrup for 2 hours so they turn cold and spongy, which is when they taste best.

Transfer the chilled rasgullas to a serving bowl with a ladle of syrup and garnish with a few strands of saffron or chopped pistachios if desired.