GULAB JAMUN

GULAB JAMUN

Gulab jamun is a beloved Indian dessert consisting of fried balls of a dough made from milk solids and semolina, soaked with an aromatic syrup spiced with green cardamom, rose water, saffron, and more.

Commonly known as Java plum or Indian blackberry in English, Jamun or Jambul in Hindi, Jambufalam or Mahaphala in Sanskrit, Naavar Pazham in Tamil and Neredu in Telugu, it goes by the botanical name Syzygium cumini.

When you first bite into a Gulab Jamun, you will find that it's incredibly sweet. They are a lovely dessert food in Malaysia. Basically, this may be one of these sweetest desserts you will try.

How do you make it?

●Ingredients

1 cup Sugar

3 Green Cardamom powder

1½ cups Water

2 teaspoon rose water

1/2 cup Milk Powder

1 tablespoon All purpose flour

A small pinch Baking Soda

1 tablespoon Ghee

2-3 tablespoons Milk

Oil or Ghee, for deep frying

●Method

Make the sugar syrup:  Heat a deep medium-sized saucepan on a gas stove. Add sugar, water, rose essenc, and cardamom powder to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. After it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until one string consistency is achieved. Once one-string consistency is achieved, reduce heat to a simmer.

Make the dough:  in a mixing bowl combine milk powder, milk, all-purpose flour, ghee, and baking soda to make a soft dough. Knead the dough till it is non-sticky and soft to touch. Add a little ghee or clarified butter to the dough as needed to keep the dough soft. If the dough is sticky, add a few teaspoons of flour and knead again. Knead dough together. Roll the dough in small balls. Keep in mind the balls will double in size when they soak in the sugar syrup. 

Note: The dough needs to be free of cracks, or it will disintegrate in the syrup mixture. To get soft Gulab Jamuns, the dough needs to be really soft. Using a little ghee or clarified butter (as needed) during the kneading process, helps achieve that.

Deep frying: In a pan, pour enough oil to completely immerse the gulab jamuns for deep frying. Heat oil over medium heat. Add 5-6 gulab jamuns to the oil. Stir them continuously with a slotted spoon until they achieve a consistent golden brown color. Drain the oil as you remove the gulab jamuns. Transfer to the sugar syrup which should be still hot. Take the sugar syrup off heat. Cover and allow the fried dough balls to absorb the syrup for roughly 2 hours or until they double in size and soak up the sugar syrup.

Serve warm and refrigerate the leftovers.

 

Note: Once the oil is thoroughly heated, reduce the heat to medium-low and add one gulab jamun to the pan to test if the oil is ready. If it slowly rises to the surface, the oil is ready for frying. If the gulab jamun rises too fast, the oil is too hot. 

Gulab jamun is internationally popular and can be found on almost every Indian restaurant menu in the world.

Make and enjoy this yummy recipe with your Family and friends.