Gulab jamun is a popular Indian dessert made with milk solids, sugar, and spices. It is a soft, spongy ball that is soaked in a syrupy sugar solution. Gulab jamun is often served chilled or at room temperature.
Here is a recipe for gulab jamun:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or yogurt
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 cups water
- 2 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 pinch saffron strands
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine the milk powder, flour, and baking powder.
- Add the ghee and mix well.
- Add the milk and lemon juice or yogurt and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cardamom pods, and saffron strands. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the syrup reaches a sticky consistency.
- After the dough has rested, divide it into small balls.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- Fry the gulab jamuns in batches until golden brown on all sides.
- Remove the gulab jamuns from the oil and immediately drop them into the hot sugar syrup.
- Let the gulab jamuns soak in the syrup for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Tips:
- To make gulab jamuns ahead of time, fry them and then store them in the syrup in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 3 days.
- If you don’t have saffron, you can use 1 teaspoon of rose water or kewra water instead.
- For a richer flavor, you can add 1 tablespoon of khoya or mawa to the dough.
- To make gulab jamuns vegan, you can use vegan ghee or vegetable oil instead of regular ghee.
Enjoy!