Get not one but two Gulab Jamun recipes that will help you make the perfect gulab jamun every time.
What is Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is a very popular Indian candy. There are some variations of doing this with bread, khoya, powdered milk, or sweet potatoes.
Indeed, for many of us it is a favorite Indian sweet. At parties, weddings, and even at an Indian dinner party, gulab jamun is one of the after-meal sweets.
These soft sugar syrup soaked balls are always surprising. Sometimes to satisfy our sweet tooth, I form gulab jamun.
The word “gulab jamun” means rose berry. In Hindi, the word “gulab” means pink and “jamun” is a dark purple berry (Java plum, black plum) available in India.
The sugar syrup for gulab jamun is enriched with rose water, and the fried dough balls are similar in size to jamun berries – hence the term Gulab Jamun.
It is traditionally made with dried milk solids. These powdered milk solids are also called khoya or mawa in Hindi. An easy variation is also made with powdered milk.
Also Read: Moong Dal Halwa
Ingredients
For the dough
▢ 1 cup of khoya or mawa – 200 grams
▢ ¾ cup of grated paneer – 100 grams of paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons of fine sooji (rava or semolina)
▢ 4 green cardamoms – powdered in a pestle or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
▢ 1 tablespoon of milk or add as needed
▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
▢ oil for frying – as needed
For Sugar Syrup
▢ 1.75 cups sugar – 250 grams
▢ 1 cup of water
▢ 1 tablespoon of rose water
▢ 1 tablespoon of milk (optional)
Instructions
Making dough
- In a bowl, take the khoya (mawa or evaporated milk). Crush it very well. There shouldn’t be any lumps. You can also crush and then mash the khoya.
- Then add grated paneer, rava (sooji), all-purpose flour (maida), baking powder and cardamom powder to the khoya mash. There should be no pieces in the mawa and paneer.
- As if there were pieces then you will find the texture of the gulab jamun not so good. The pieces of mava or paneer will give bite in the mouth, when you have the gulab jamun. They will not be smooth.
- Mix well. Add milk and gather together to form a paste with milk. Do not knead.
- Just mix gently. If you are not able to form balls or the mixture seems dry, then add a few teaspoons of milk. Cover the dough and set aside 30 min.
- Make small balls with the dough. Cover the balls and set aside.
Make sugar syrup
- Dissolve the sugar in the water. Heat the sugar solution until it becomes sticky. Just turn off the flame before the syrup reaches a consistency of thread.
- Add rose water and mix. Keep the sugar solution aside. While cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and heat the syrup again. It will return to liquid state again.
Frying
- Meanwhile, while the sugar syrup cooks, heat the oil until moderately hot. Lower the heat and wait a minute. Then slowly place the dough balls in the oil.
- Once they start to have tiny golden spots, keep swirling them in the oil, so the jamuns are evenly browned.
- Remove the fried jamuns then drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Make Gulab Jamun
- Then place the hot fried balls in the sugar syrup. Continue frying the remaining of the dough balls in batches.
- When all the jamuns are placed in the sugar syrup, keep everything together with the sugar syrup and the gulab jamun, over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the jamun becomes tender.
- Heating helps the gulab jamun to soak the syrup and become soft. The jamun increases in size a little. Do not overcook as the jamun may break.
- Use a large pot, so the jamuns aren’t overcrowded and you can easily stir them gently while they simmer.
- Serve the warm gulab jamun or at room temperature. You can also cool them and serve them cold. Decorate with rose petals or almond pieces.
