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Gulab Jamun

Deliciousness in every bite, these dried milk & dough balls are dunked in aromatic sugar syrup until they swell and melt in your mouth!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 20 Jamuns
Author Shireen Sequeira @ www.ruchikrandhap.com

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk powder
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1/8 th teaspoon baking soda
  • a fat pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon ghee plus 1/2 teaspoon extra if required to knead
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt plus extra 1 or 2 teaspoons if required to knead

For the sugar syrup

  • 200 grams 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 500 ml 2 cups water
  • 2-3 cardamom pods bruised
  • a few drops of lime juice
  • a few drops of rose essence or 1-2 teaspoons of rose water optional * I skipped it
  • a large pinch of saffron strands optional

Instructions

  • Sift the milk powder, maida, baking soda & salt together into a deep bowl.
  • In another bowl whisk together the ghee & curds and pour this mixture into the sifted milk powder. Initially the mixture will resemble breadcrumbs. Knead together until you get a smooth, crack free dough. Avoid adding more flour as it will make the jamoons hard. Drizzle a few drops of curds or ghee in between to achieve the desired consistency. Make sure not to add any milk or water. The moisture in the curds will suffice. The dough should be pliable - sticky yet should not stick to your fingers (test by poking the dough, your finger should come out fairly clean). Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest.
  • While the dough is resting prepare the sugar syrup. Place the sugar into a deep and water in a wide based saucepan (wide enough to accommodate the gulab jamoons when they begin to absorb the syrup and swell up). Add the cardamom pods and bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook over a medium heat for about 7-10 minutes or till the syrup begins to thicken slightly. We just want a syrup that is light and not too thick.
  • Add the rose essence or water and the saffron if desired. Add the lime juice as this will prevent crystalisation of the syrup. Take the pan off the heat, cover and keep warm
  • Heat oil in a small pan (big enough to fry the dough balls in 1-2 batches) on a medium-low heat. We need to fry the jamoons on a low heat as they need to cook right through the centre. If the oil is too hot, the jamoons will brown quickly on the outside and turn black within minutes and remain uncooked inside.
  • When the oil is getting heated, knead the dough for a couple of minutes and pinch out small balls, a little smaller than Indian limes or slightly bigger than marbles. Dab your fingers with ghee if need be in order to roll out balls that are free of any cracks. You should get around 19-21 balls.
  • To test the readiness of the oil drop a tiny ball of dough into it. If it settles at the bottom and comes up to the surface slowly, at the count of 10, it is ready. If it comes up too quickly, the oil is hot (in which case you can either turn off the heat and wait for the oil to cool down a bit or add some extra oil to balance the temperature - either way, make sure that you have oil that is ready at the correct temperature)
  • When the oil is ready, drop the dough balls into the oil a few at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Leave them untouched for half a minute and then toss them around for even browning. When the balls turn golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon to drain excess oil and transfer into the saucepan containing the sugar syrup. Repeat till all the dough balls are fried. Ensure that once the fried jamoons have been dunked into the sugar syrup you shake them a bit. Keep aside for at least 1-1/2 to 2 hours to help them absorb the syrup generously.
  • Before serving, you may want to lightly heat the saucepan. Discard the cardamom pods, garnish with more saffron strands and serve with a generous helping of syrup. Gulab Jamoons tasted great when fresh & hot and also pair wonderfully with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!