Gulab jamun is a popular dessert in countries of India. In Nepal it is widely known as Rasbari. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids. Traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried, but at a low temperature of about 300°F. It is then put into a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and rose water or saffron.
The term gulab jamun comes from Persian, gulab, ” rose water” referring to the rosewater-scented syrup, and Hindustani jamun, a South Asian fruit with a similar size and shape.
Serves – 6-8 persons (makes approx. 15-16 gulab jamuns)
Ingredients for Gulab Jamun Recipe
- Mawa/khoya – 150 gms
- Soda bicarb – 3 pinches
- Maida/all purpose flour – 1 cup
- Sugar – 2 cups
- Water – 1cup
- Cardamom – 4-5 pods(seeds crushed) optional
- Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
- Saffron/ kesar – a few strands
- Rose water – a few drops
- Milk – a few tsp (to knead the dough
- Ghee/clarified butter – 200 ml
- Oil – 200 ml
Procedure for preparing Gulab Jamun Recipe
Mix mawa/khoya, maida,soda bicarb, crushed cardamom seeds and knead it into a dough(add some milk little by little to form a smooth dough).
Meanwhile In a saucepan make a sugar syrup with water and sugar on low flame till the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup starts thickening till you finally get a one thread consistency( take some syrup between your thumb and index finger and then pull apart your thumb and index finger and see if only one thread is formed between them, that is the consistency that we require). Add the cardamom powder, saffron strands and rose water and mix well.Make sure that the syrup is still warm when you fry the balls and drop them into the syrup.
Once the dough is prepared make small balls out of it making sure that there are no cracks on the surface, for that keep on rolling the balls between your palms in slow circular motion till you get the perfect balls.
Heat oil and ghee together in a kadhai/pan (the oil and ghee should not smoke) It should not be too hot. Now drop the balls one by one and deep fry them (once you drop the balls you will see that the balls rise up and float on the oil by itself and gets evenly brown by itself).
Once the balls are deep fried drop them into the warm sugar syrup directly.
You will see that the balls enlarge in size and become very soft.
Yummy gulab jamuns are ready. Serve hot or cold .