Homemade Rose Jelly with Agar Agar

Homemade rose jelly is a light, mildly sweet and a fragrant dessert. Made using just 4 ingredients, the jelly is vegan as the recipe substitutes gelatin with Agar-Agar as a setting agent. Homemade rose jelly with a simple and easy to follow recipe is easy on your pocket too and best part is that you can give it to your kids without any guilt. It is safe as we know the ingredients that are used to make the jelly. I have made the jelly using Homemade Rose Syrup and beetroot juice adds natural red color to the jelly making it artificial color and flavor free. Kids are fascinated with the wobbly texture of jellies and they will surely love the floral flavor of this rose jelly.

Homemade rose jelly can be made in various shapes and served as fun food in kid parties, Summer picnics or served post dinner as a light and refreshing dessert . It is one of the ingredients of a very popular and delicious dessert- falooda. Jelly can also be finely chopped and added to milk shakes and topped with whipped cream or ice-cream to give yet another flavorful and refreshing dessert.

Being a Microbiology postgraduate , working with Agar Agar was not new to me. It reminds me , how an Agar plate has always been a workhorse for me as a Microbiologist ! Agar-Agar (China grass) is obtained from algae and is a vegetarian substitute for gelatin. It is chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts, fruit preserves and as a thickener for soups. Using Agar Agar, you even do not need to refrigerate the jelly for it to set perfectly. I already have a Dragon Fruit Jelly  recipe using Agar Agar on my blog. 
 
                            
 In this recipe i have used Agar Agar in a powdered form , which just needs to be soaked in water for 10 minutes and you can directly add that solution to the boiling sugar and rose flavored water as it easily dissolves. If using it in strand form , cut the Agar Agar into small strands and after rinsing boil it in 1/2 cup of water. Once it dissolves completely, strain that solution and add to the rest of the sugar and rose flavored water. ( Best method is to follow the instructions provided on the packet.

                                

This rose jelly was one of the dishes i had made for my son's birthday party. Do you all remember i had promised in my Hung Curd Sandwich post , that i will be sharing the recipes of all the dishes i had made for the party ? Keeping the promise, i am here to share with you a very simple and easy to follow, rose jelly recipe. So lets get started.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Setting time- 4-6 hours
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 5 grams Agar Agar (China grass) 
• 2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar or as per taste
• 2 -3 tablespoon Rose syrup
• 2 tablespoon beetroot juice

Method:

1. Take 5 gram agar agar powder and rinse it with water. Add 1/2 cup water to it and allow the powder to soak in it for 10 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile in a sauce pan heat 2 cups water with sugar and rose syrup. Add beetroot juice to it and allow the solution to boil.

  3. As the mixture comes to a boil, add the soaked Agar Agar to it and stir well so that it begins to melt. Keep boiling it on a low flame until Agar Agar has completely dissolved . It will take approximately 10-15 minutes. 

4. Put off the flame and immediately pour the mixture into an aluminium tin or small  moulds. (I used the muffin tray as it was easy to serve the kids at the party. You may pour the jelly mixture in a any large tin and cut it later on in desired shapes. Do not disturb the moulds atleast for 30-40 minutes. Once the jelly is set ( it will take around 4-5 hours for the jelly to set perfectly), carefully invert it on plate and cut it into shapes. Serve it as it is or chill the jelly until serving time .

  Recipe Notes:

• You can add fruit purees or any other flavored jelly following this method.
• You may reduce the sugar quantity up to 1/4 cup or as per your taste. As i made it for a kids party, i added little more sugar.
• If using Agar Agar in strand form , cut it into small strands and after rinsing,  boil it in 1/2 cup of water. Once the Agar Agar dissolves completely, strain that solution and add to the rest of the sugar and rose flavored water. ( Best method is to follow the instructions provided on the packet. 
• Homemade rose jelly can be made in various shapes and served as fun food in kid parties, Summer picnics or served post dinner as a light and refreshing dessert . It is one of the ingredients of a very popular and delicious dessert- falooda. 
• Rose Jelly can also be finely chopped and added to puddings, desserts or added to milk shakes and topped with whipped cream or ice-cream to give yet another flavorful and refreshing dessert. 
• Agar-Agar (China grass) is obtained from algae and is a vegetarian substitute for gelatin. It is chiefly used as an ingredient in desserts, fruit preserves and as a thickener for soups. Using Agar Agar, you even do not need to refrigerate the jelly for it to set perfectly.
• Do not disturb the jelly mixture for about 30-40 minutes, once it is poured in the moulds.

Summer vacations are still going on in North India, and this refreshing and flavorful rose jelly is perfect treat on a Summer afternoon. If you try out this recipe for your kids, do share your feedback in the comment section below this post. Follow us on  #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates. So until i am back with another healthy dish from my kitchen , eat fresh and stay fit !

For more similar recipes, do check out the following posts from my blog.

• Dragon Fruit Jelly

                              

• Rose Lassi Popsicle

                                       

• Homemade Gulkand

                                        

• Strawberry Jam