Gulab Jamun Recipe
Gulab Jamun is a delicious Indian dessert made from a soft dough of milk powder, maida, and ghee, deep-fried to golden perfection and soaked in aromatic sugar syrup with saffron and cardamom. It’s a perfect indulgence for any occasion, sweet, rich, and irresistible.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Deep frying pan or kadai
- stirring spoon
- Saucepan for syrup
- Ladle or slotted spoon
- Plate or tray for resting jamuns
Ingredients
Sugar syrup
- ¼ tsp saffron / kesar
- 2 cup water
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp rose water
- 2 cardamom
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Jamun
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup milk powder, unsweetened
- ghee or oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
- ½ cup maida / plain flour
- milk, for kneading
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup milk powder, ½ cup maida, and ½ tsp baking powder.
- Mix well to create the gulab jamun flour mix.
- Add 2 tbsp ghee, mixing until the flour becomes moist.
- Gradually add milk to form a soft dough without kneading.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- For the syrup, combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 cardamom pods, and ¼ tsp saffron in a saucepan.
- Boil for 5 minutes, until the syrup becomes sticky, but not stringy.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp rose water.
- Set aside to cool.
- After resting, divide the dough into small, crack-free balls, ensuring they are smooth to prevent them from breaking while frying.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry the balls on low flame, stirring gently, until golden brown.
- Drain and immediately transfer the fried jamuns into the hot sugar syrup.
- Cover and let them soak for 2 hours, allowing them to double in size.
- Serve warm or chilled with ice cream.
Notes
- Avoid kneading the dough to keep the jamuns soft.
- For the best flavor, fry the jamuns in ghee instead of oil.
- Ensure the oil is not too hot to prevent burning the jamuns.
- Adding lemon juice to the syrup prevents crystallization and ensures the syrup stays smooth.