North Indian

Gulab Jamun

By The Indian Hub Kitchen Surrey, British Columbia

Soft milk-solid dumplings soaked in rose-cardamom sugar syrup.

Food Story

Gulab jamun is the undisputed king of Indian desserts, present at every celebration.

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Serves

Ingredients

1
In a bowl, combine 1 cup milk powder, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp ghee, and 1 tsp yogurt. Add milk gradually (1-2 tbsp) and knead into a soft dough. Do not over-knead or the jamuns will become hard. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
2
Roll the dough into 12-14 smooth balls with no cracks. Cracks will cause them to break apart while frying. Press each ball gently to ensure it is smooth and round.
3
For the syrup: in a wide pot, combine 1.5 cups sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 crushed cardamoms. Boil for 5-7 minutes until the syrup is slightly sticky (one-string consistency). Add 1 tsp rose water and keep warm on low heat.
4
Heat oil in a deep pan to medium-low (about 150C). The oil must not be too hot or the jamuns will burn outside and stay raw inside. Slide in 4-5 balls at a time and fry very slowly, stirring gently, for 5-7 minutes until they are deep golden brown on all sides.
5
Drain the fried jamuns and immediately drop them into the warm syrup. They will sizzle and absorb the syrup. Let them soak for at least 2 hours (overnight is best) until they are soft and doubled in size.
6
Serve warm or at room temperature. No Indian celebration is complete without gulab jamun.