Gulab Jamun is an Indian dessert which is a deep-fried milk dough balls soaked in a homemade chashni sugar syrup flavored with rose water.
This recipe will give you good results if you follow the quantities, use very low heat while frying and the results is absolutely restaurant quality Gulab Jamuns. It is important to add some milk or water while kneading the dough, if you only use the cream to knead the dough then your dough would be very crumbly, the water or the miik will help you to get the glutton in the flour to work and it will bind the dough.Do not leave the dough for a long time on the shelf, just make the dough when you are ready to fry the Gulab Jamuns.
Ingredients of Gulab Jamun
3 Cups of Dry Milk Powder ( do not use any low fat options)
1 Cup of Self Raising Flour ( Self Raising Flour is nothing by Maida or Plain Flour with Baking Powder added to it)
3 Pinches of Baking Soda ( Only if you are using plain flour or Maida instead of the Self Raising Flour)
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 cup water
Thickened Cream 200 grams
Oil for Deep Frying
3 Cups of White Sugar
3 Cups of Water
1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
1 tablespoon rose water
1/2 teaspoon saffron (powdered, and optional)
Method of Gulab Jamun
To make Sugar Syrup
Take a pot and add 3 cups of water and add Sugar.
Bring the water to boil.
Let it boil for 15 minutes. ( Keep the pot covered with a lid , just leave a bit of a room for steam to escape.)
Add Cardamom powder, rosewater and saffron in the water.
Once the syrup has thickened a bit then keep it aside.
To fry the Gulab Jamuns
Take a mixing bowl
Add the Milk Powder
Add the Self Raising Flour ( or Add the Plain Flour and the baking Soda)
Add 1/2 cup of milk ( Milk is important as it will bind the flour )
Add the cream
Knead the mixture into a dough.
Adjust the quantity of cream which you add to keep a tight dough.
Put the pan on very low heat with the oil for deep frying. ( Very Low Heat please )
Make small balls of the dough and use some oil on your hands to make a smooth and shiny ball of the size of a cherry. ( Remember that it will swell up while frying and while in the syrup as well)
Once the balls have turned dark brown then transfer them in the sugar syrup.
The Gulab Jamuns are ready. If the syrup has not peneterated into the centre of Gulab Jamuns then keep them dipped in the syrup.
You can actually store the Gulab Jamuns in the fridge in the syrup itself.