Gulab Jamun For The Win!

I've always liked trying new things, I've also liked eating something and immediately try to make it myself. I've had Gulab Jamun before, and they were the most amazing things I've ever had. I've never had a dessert like this. It reminds me of a little fried cake donut that acts as a sponge for a yummy cardamom sugary syrup. I have a few people to thank for this experience and they are my Indian friends Kirti, Kirin, and Archana. Every time I eat these I think of them and I think of my time in college. Gulab Jamun's make me so happy. I think i've tried making these before with one of those premade mixes and it did not end well. The gulab jamun's exploded when the hit the hot oil, so I gave up on them. I would go to Indian restaurants and always order gulab jamun. Even when I would go on vacation I would always find an Indian restaurant and order Dosas and Gulab Jamun (they only give you like 3, sad). I figured that I could make my own gulab jamuns and they would be delicious and I can scratch it off of my list. I did have to go to an actual Indian grocery store to pick up a few things. I had to get some ghee, cardamom pods, saffron, and maida (which is basically AP flour). I was able to find milk powder at kroger. I couldn't help after these were made to cut one open and eat it and it was yummy.

yummy gulab jamun

Here's what you will need

Gulab Jamun Recipe

• 1 cup of milk powder
• 1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter)
• 1/4 cup of maida (or all purpose flour)
• 3 tablespoons of milk
• pinch of baking soda
• 1 tablespoons of curd/yogurt/or butter
• 1 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 5 crushed cardamom pods (optional)
• few strands of saffron (optional)
• few drops of rose water (optional)
• pistachios (optional)
• oil or ghee for frying

Let's start with the sugar syrup.

Place your granulated sugar in a medium/ large saucepan or pot

Now add in your 2 cups of water

Give it a quick stir as the sugar dissolves in the water

Take some green cardamom pods and crush about 4-5 and throw those in the pot with the sugar+water mixture

cardamom seeds

lightly crushed cardamom

Take a few strands of saffron and throw that in the same pot, a little goes a long way with saffron so just a pinch. You can also add in rose water, I didn't have that so I omitted that.

Saffron, why are you so expensive?

Bring your sugar to a boil and let it boil for a few minutes. Then turn the burner off and just let the syrup sit. The syrup should thicken slightly.  Not to thick, just think like a watery pancake syrup.

the saffron turns this a pretty yellow

Now take your milk powder, flour, and baking powder and mix together.

milk powder

add in your baking soda

add in your flour

all incorporated

once that is all incorporated, it's time to add in your ghee

the ghee made it a little crumbly, mix with your fingertips

Using your clean mix in your yogurt/curd/butter and add a tablespoon of milk at a time. do that until you get a dough that resembles that.

knead this with your finger tips, you aren't making bread

If your dough is too crumbly, add in a little more milk (a tiny bit at a time)

Now take a little dough and roll it in to balls. Make sure you have no cracks in your balls or they will explode when you fry them.

No cracks

I made about 13 balls

I hate rolling these

Ok so I poured some canola oil in a pan and turned the heat on about a 4 out of 10. So low/medium heat. You do not want your oil to be really hot because it will cook the outside of the jamuns before the inside is cooked, thats not good. You really are going to fry these on low heat (it should take about 6-7 minutes) A good way to test your oil temp is to place a little dough in your oil and count to five. If it rises before you count to five the oil is to hot. If it does not rise by the time you count to five your oil is not hot enough.

Ok when you have your oil at the right temp just gently drop a few in.

fry these on low

I did about 6 at a time, you see those little bubbles forming around the jamun. Ok, gently stir the oil in a circular pattern and try not to hit your jamun while you do that. Keep stirring this helps the jamun get an even color.  When the Jamun are brown take them out of the oil and I drained them with a paper towel.

Now take your sugar syrup and re heat it back up, not boiling and place your gulab jamuns in the hot syrup.

first batch swirling around in that yummy saffron syrup

first batch in

just soaking up some syrup

Turn the syrup off after like 5 minutes and place a lid on them. Let the Gulab Jamun soak up the syrup for atleast 2 hours ( preferably longer like over night in the fridge)

look at that beautiful interior, soaking up that amazing syrup!

 I couldn't wait so after two hours I cracked one open and placed the others in a airtight container and placed in my fridge for later days.

They are so good, they taste so buttery, I don't know if that's the ghee and the saffron and cardamom flavor really comes through. They are so soft and sweet, I can't wait to see how they will taste cold out of the fridge.

You can definitely enjoy these hot (just reheat them in the microwave with the syrup for 30 seconds) or cold. I was checking the internet and people also eat these with like a scoop of vanilla ice cream so go for it.