Gulab Jamun
These homemade gulab jamun are soft, sweet, and unbelievably fluffy. You'll love biting into them. Perfect for sharing after any Indian meal.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups milk powder
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 0.5 cup whole milk
- oil for deep frying
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2.5 cups water
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon rose water
Instructions
- To prepare the sugar syrup, combine 3 cups granulated sugar and 2.5 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Reduce the heat to low and add 4 lightly crushed green cardamom pods. Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes without stirring. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon rose water. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1.25 cups milk powder, 0.25 cup all-purpose flour, and 0.25 teaspoon baking soda. Mix these dry ingredients together thoroughly.
- Add 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter to the dry mixture and mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually add 0.5 cup whole milk to the mixture, mixing gently to form a soft, pliable dough. Do not knead aggressively; just bring it together. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. If it's too dry, add a few more drops of milk. If it's too sticky, add a sprinkle of milk powder.
- Divide the dough into 16-18 equal portions. Gently roll each portion into a smooth, crack-free ball. Ensure there are no cracks, as these can cause the gulab jamun to break during frying. Keep the rolled balls under a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
- Heat enough oil for deep frying in a deep pan or kadai over medium-low heat. The oil should be hot, but not smoking (around 280-300°F or 135-150°C). To test the oil temperature, drop a tiny piece of dough into it; it should gently sizzle and slowly rise to the surface, not immediately brown.
- Carefully place 4-5 gulab jamun balls into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the balls on medium-low heat, gently turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon to ensure even browning. Fry until they are uniformly golden brown on all sides (this will take about 7-10 minutes per batch).
- Using the slotted spoon, remove the fried gulab jamun from the oil and immediately transfer them directly into the warm sugar syrup. Repeat this process with the remaining jamun balls, frying them in batches.
- Allow the gulab jamun to soak in the syrup for at least 1-2 hours, preferably longer, or overnight, until they have doubled in size and become soft and spongy. They will absorb the syrup as they cool.
- Serve the gulab jamun warm or at room temperature, garnished with chopped pistachios or almonds if desired.