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Gulab Jamun - The King of Indian Desserts

by: Trushti

For those who don’t know what Gulab jamun is, the answer is, It is a dessert very popular in India and other neighboring countries. It is made using khoya (thickened milk), flour, milk and ghee. These are deep fried balls soaked in sugar based syrup which is slightly flavored either with rose water of cardamom.

Now days, ready to use Gulab jamun mixture is available in the market. Just knead it using milk, make balls and deep fry them in ghee (clarified butter) (for better taste) or else you can use any other refined vegetable oil. After deep-frying these balls are soaked in warm sugar syrup. You can have them hot or can also refrigerate it. These are best for all occasions.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bisquick

2 cup Carnation Powder

2 cup Water

1 1/2 cup Sugar

4 pods Cardamom Seeds

4 tbsp Butter

6-8 drops Rose Water

1/8 cup Yogurt

1/2 cup Milk

Method

Heat butter and pour in a bowl. Add bisquick, carnation powder and yogurt and blend together. Knead well adding milk if necessary.

Make a smooth ball, cover and let rest for around 30 minutes. Make 12-14 small balls.

Heat the water, add sugar, and bring to boil, add cardamom seeds and simmer.

Boil, then simmer to reduce the water by half. Heat the oil until hot and fry the balls to a golden brown or until they are dark brown, almost black.

Soak in sugar syrup for a few hours until they double in size

Serve hot or cold

Image credit: http://www.woodlandsusa.com/images/gulab_jamoon.JPG

Ingredients

1 cup Milk Powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda)

2 tablespoons butter - melted

Whole milk just enough to make the dough

2 cups Sugar

1 cup water

Oil for frying

Method

Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.

Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.

If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So adjust the temperature to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.
- The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.
- The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar". Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.
- Transfer this hot syrup into a Corning serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamuns in syrup overnight for best results. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Image credit: http://www.tasteofindiany.com/web_images/gulab-jamun12.jpg