Gulab Jamun Recipe

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun Recipe Sweet Delight Vegetarian Diwali Festive Treat

Delicious gulab jamun recipe made with khoya (milk powder) and paneer in the traditional way.

Prep Time: 35 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Course: Desserts, Sweets

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Easy

Servings: Gulab Jamun's

Calories: 134kcal

Ingredients

for the dough

1 cup milk powder - 200 grams
¾ cup grated paneer - 100 grams of paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon fine semolina (Suji)
4 green cardamoms - powdered in a mortar-pestle or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon milk or add as required
¼ teaspoon baking powder
oil for deep frying - as required

for sugar syrup

250 grams sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon milk (optional) - read notes

Instructions

Making dough

Take Milk powder in a bowl. Mash it very well. There should be no lumps. You can also grate and then mash the khoya.
Then add grated paneer, & semolina Fine, all purpose flour (maida), baking powder and cardamom powder to the mashed khoya. There should be no lumps in both the milk powder and paneer.
If there are lumps, then the texture of the Gulab Jamun wont be good.
Mix well. Add milk and gather together to form a dough with milk. Don't knead.
Just gently mix. If you are unable to form balls or if the mixture appears dry, then add a few teaspoons of milk. Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 mins.
Make small balls from the dough. Cover the balls and keep aside.

Making sugar syrup

Dissolve sugar in water. Heat the sugar solution till it become sticky. You just need to switch off the fire before the syrup reaches a one thread consistency.
Add rose water and stir. Keep the sugar solution aside. On cooling if the sugar syrup crystalize's, then add 2 to 3 tbsp water and warm the syrup again. It will again return to a liquid state.

Frying

Meanwhile, while the sugar syrup is cooking, heat oil till it's medium hot. Lower the flame and wait for a minute. Then gently place the dough balls in the oil.
Once they start to have tiny golden spots, keep on rotating them in the oil, so that the jamun are evenly browned.
Remove the fried jamun and then drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.

Making gulab jamun

Then place the hot fried dough balls in the sugar syrup. Continue frying the rest of the dough balls in batches.
When all the jamuns are placed in the sugar syrup, then keep the whole pan with the sugar syrup and the gulab jamun, on a low flame for 1 to 2 minutes till the jamun become soft.
Heating helps the gulab jamun to absorb the syrup and become soft. The jamun increase a bit in size. Don't overcook as then the jamun can break.
Use a large pan, so that the jamuns are not overcrowded and you can easily stir them gently while they are simmering.
Serve gulab jamun warm or at room temperature. You can also chill them and serve them cold. Garnish with rose petals or almond slivers.

Notes

1. Gulab jamun falls apart while frying: The jamuns will fall apart of break in oil, If there is too much moisture in the dough. More baking powder in the dough can also result in the same. Frying at a very high heat or a low heat will result in the jamuns cracking or falling apart. If the dough has less binding ingredients like all purpose flour or rava (sooji), this would break them in the oil. While frying as soon as you add the jamun dough balls in the oil, then let them become slightly crisp, firm up and then only turn them.

2. Dense gulab jamuns: Less moisture in the jamun dough will make them hard and dense. The jamun dough has to be mixed and not kneaded. If the dough is kneaded then the gulab jamun will become chewy. When you knead the dough, gluten strands will form which will make the jamun dense and heavy.

3. Very soft gulab jamuns: The sugar syrup should have a sticky consistency. They should not have a watery consistency. If the sugar syrup is watery, then the jamun absorbs more sugar syrup resulting in it being super soft and can even break in the sugar syrup.

4. Tip to remove sugar impurities: If the sugar syrup has impurities, then add milk and simmer. A layer of scum will be formed. Remove this layer with a spoon.

5. Frying Notes

First, the oil has to be heated till it is medium hot. Then reduce flame to a medium-low or low and wait for a minute. Then gently place the jamun dough balls in the oil.
Once the jamun dough balls start to have tiny light golden spots on them, then keep on rotating them with a slotted spoon in the oil often. This way the jamun will have an even golden colour.
Also do note that if the oil is on the cooler side, then the jamun will absorb more oil and can crack or break too.
If the oil is very hot, then the balls get browned quickly with the inside portion being under cooked.
Traditionally gulab jamun are fried in ghee. You can go the traditional way if you want or just fry them in oil as I have done.

Nutrition