Perfect Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun are like the chocolate cake of Desi parties. Soft balls of fried milk & rose syrup. So delicious. Follow my simple recipe & video for beautifully melt-in-the-mouth Gulab Jamuns.
Servings: 18
Ingredients
For the jamun:
- 200 g skimmed milk powder
- 20 g coarse semolina
- 35 g plain flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 5 green cardamom pods, seeds ground
- 1 1/2 tbsp ghee melted and cooled slightly
- 200 ml full-fat milk room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 L oil for deep frying
For the syrup:
- 600 g granulated sugar
- 600 ml water
- 15-20 saffron strands (large pinch)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp rosewater
Instructions
For the Gulab Jamun dough:
- Take skimmed milk powder in a large bowl or thali with high sides. Add plain flour, semolina, baking powder, ground cardamom seeds and salt. Mix well.
- Add melted ghee and rub the mixture together to form a coarse, breadcrumb-like texture. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together milk and lemon juice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Once the mixture has curdled slightly, add it to the dry ingredients. Start by making a well in the centre and then add the milk mixture a little at a time, forming a paste with your fingers from the centre and working your way outwards to incorporate more dry ingredients.
- Once all the milk mixture has been added, beat the mixture with your fingertips to form a lumpy but uniform texture. It will feel very sticky, more like a batter than a dough. This is good.
- Allow the mixture to stand, uncovered for 30 minutes. Do not mix it during this time. This resting time will give the milk powder, flour and semolina in the Gulab Jamun dough time to hydrate fully, turning from a wet batter, to a dough.
To make the sugar syrup:
- Place sugar in a large pan. Add water, lemon juice and saffron. Rub the saffron between your palms to release some of their aromas. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. The lemon juice will prevent crystallisation of the syrup. You can also use a tablespoon of liquid glucose in place of lemon juice if you like.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and bring the syrup to a rolling boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until a light syrup forms and the temperature of the syrup registers 61°C/142°F. As soon as the syrup reaches this stage, remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding rosewater. Stir well and keep covered until needed.
To form the Gulab Jamuns:
- Once the dough has fully hydrated, it will be a tacky, dough-like consistency. Portion the dough into 15g pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, using a very small amount of ghee to grease your hands if necessary. Ensure every ball is completely smooth and free from cracks. Set aside onto a plate.
- Repeat this process for all of the dough. You should have around 38 Gulab Jamuns.
To fry the Gulab Jamuns:
- Heat the oil in a large pan suitable for deep frying. The oil temperature should register 100°C/212°F.
- Add several Gulab Jamuns, taking care not to overcrowd the oil. Don't add too many at once as they require constant agitation. If you're not accustomed to it, they will brown unevenly. You can fry bigger batches once you get used to the frying process. Agitate the oil around the Gulab Jamun, taking care not to touch them too much with the perforated skimmer or it they will become misshapen.
- As soon as the Gulab Jamuns double in size and float to the top of the oil (after around 3 minutes), increase the oil temperature to 150°C/302°F and fry until golden brown all over. At this stage, you must keep the Gulab Jamuns moving at all times to ensure even browning. Once the Gulab Jamuns have been in the oil for around 7-8 minutes in total, they should be perfectly golden all over.
- Lift the Gulab Jamuns out of the oil and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Set aside and repeat the frying process for the remaining Gulab Jamuns. Be sure the oil temperature cools before adding subsequent batches.
To soak the Gulab Jamuns:
- Once all of the Gulab Jamuns have been fried, add them to the prepared, still warm sugar syrup. If the syrup is cold, warm it very slightly before adding the Gulab Jamuns to ensure better absorption. Immerse the Gulab Jamuns completely and allow to stand, covered for 6-8 hours. Stir from time to time to coat each one well with syrup.
- Serve either at room temperature or warm.