Gulab Jamun is a popular sweet dish in India and is loved by people of all ages. The dish is made of soft and spongy dough balls that are deep fried and then soaked in syrup. The syrup is made of sugar, water, and cardamom, giving it a sweet and fragrant flavor. The dish is commonly served as a dessert after a meal, but it is also enjoyed as a snack any time of the day.
Gulab Jamun is said to have originated in the medieval kitchens of the Mughal Empire, where it was called ‘gulab’, meaning rose, and ‘jamun’, meaning a dark and juicy fruit. The name is thought to have come from the fruit’s shape and the syrup’s rosy color, which is said to resemble the color of rose petals.
The dish is traditionally made from khoya, a type of milk solids, mixed with flour and other ingredients to form a dough. The dough is then shaped into small balls and deep fried until golden brown. The fried dough balls are then soaked in the syrup, which helps them absorb the syrup’s flavor and become soft and spongy. The dish is garnished with saffron and cardamom, giving it a rich and flavorful taste.
One of the key things that make Gulab Jamun so special is its texture. The dough is soft and spongy, while the syrup is thick and sweet. The combination of the two creates a dessert that is both sweet and light, making it a perfect treat for any occasion. Whether it is a celebration, a festive occasion, or just a casual snack, Gulab Jamun is sure to be a hit with everyone.
Making Gulab Jamun at home can be a little bit challenging, but with a little bit of patience and practice, anyone can make it. The first step is to make the dough, which is made from a mixture of khoya, flour, and other ingredients. The dough needs to be kneaded well to make sure it is smooth and consistent. Once the dough is ready, it is shaped into small balls and deep fried until golden brown.
The syrup is made by boiling sugar, water, and cardamom together until it becomes thick and syrup-like. The fried dough balls are then soaked in the syrup for a few hours, which allows them to absorb the syrup’s flavor and become soft and spongy. The final step is to garnish the Gulab Jamun with saffron and cardamom, giving it a rich and flavorful taste.
Gulab Jamun has a long history and is a beloved dessert in India, but it has also gained popularity in other countries around the world. In many countries, it is now a staple at Indian restaurants, and it can be found in specialty food stores and online. The dish is also a popular sweet for special occasions, such as weddings and festivals, and is often served as a dessert after a meal.
Gulab Jamun is a delicious and iconic sweet dish in India that is loved by people of all ages. Its soft and spongy texture, combined with its sweet and fragrant flavor, makes it a perfect dessert for any occasion. Whether you are a fan of Indian cuisine or just love sweets, Gulab Jamun is a dish that is sure to delight your taste buds. So why not give it a try and taste the magic of this beloved dessert for yourself!
How to make Gulab Jamun with Khoya
Making Sugar Syrup
- Take a stock pot or wok, add sugar and water, keep stirring until it dissolves completely, bring to a boil & further add green cardamom, mix well & later switch off the flame. We do not require any sort of one string or two string consistency, it should just be a simple sugar syrup.
- Keep the sugar syrup aside, no need to cool down, let the temperature drop on its own. Make sure to keep them warm.
Making Gulab Jamun
- Take grated khoya (mawa or evaporated milk) in a bowl. Mash it very well until it becomes smooth. There should be no lumps.
- After smoothing the khoya, take the malai paneer and grate using a small size hole, mash it well until it’s smooth in texture.
- Once they both are smooth in texture, mix well and add maida in batches, make sure not to add them all at once, you need to add & mix well until it forms like a dough and it starts to leave the plate or bowl.
- Once it has mixed nicely and formed a dough like texture, add baking powder and incorporate well into the dough.
- Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes & cover with a cloth.
- Divide the dough in small and equal size balls, make sure to shape them in small shapes as they will get bigger in size when they soak up the sugar syrup(chaashni).
- Shape them in perfect roundels one by one and make sure there should not be any cracks on the gulab jamun, also cover the shaped balls with a moist cloth to prevent them from drying, while you’re shaping few more. By the time your shaping set the oil for frying.
- Set a wok filled with oil for frying the gulab jamuns, make sure the oil is not very hot. Then gently place the dough balls in the oil.
- Fry them on low flame maintaining the temperature and keep stirring so that they get even colour and cook evenly from the inside as well.
- Once they start to have tiny golden spots, keep on rotating them in the oil, so that the jamun are evenly browned.
- Once they are nice golden brown, immediately drop them in warm sugar, the temperature of the sugar should not exceed above 50 or the gulab jamun will become too soft and may lose its shape.
- Now, let the gulab jamun rest in the sugar syrup for minimum 4 hours so that they can absorb the syrup nicely. Your perfect gulab jamun is ready to be served.
Enjoy this traditional and delicious dessert made with khoya, a staple ingredient in Indian sweets. The soft and syrup-soaked texture, combined with the delicate flavors of cardamom and milk, make khoya Gulab Jamun a treat that is hard to resist.
PrintGulab Jamun recipe | Gulab Jamun with Khoya
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 25-30 minute
- Category: Desserts, Sweets
- Method: Deep fry
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian sweet that is made from khoya (milk solids) and is shaped into small balls and then fried. The fried balls are then soaked in a sweet syrup made from sugar, water, and cardamom powder. The syrup gives the Gulab Jamuns their signature soft and juicy texture and makes them irresistible.
Ingredients
- 1 cup khoya (milk solids), grated
- ¼ cup malai paneer
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Oil, for deep-frying
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cup water
- 3–4 green cardamom pods, crushed
Instructions
Making Sugar Syrup
- Take a stock pot or wok, add sugar and water, keep stirring until it dissolves completely, bring to a boil & further add green cardamom, mix well & later switch off the flame. We do not require any sort of one string or two string consistency, it should just be a simple sugar syrup.
- Keep the sugar syrup aside, no need to cool down, let the temperature drop on its own. Make sure to keep them warm.
Making Gulab Jamun
- Take grated khoya (mawa or evaporated milk) in a bowl. Mash it very well until it becomes smooth. There should be no lumps.
- After smoothing the khoya, take the malai paneer and grate using a small size hole, mash it well until it’s smooth in texture.
- Once they both are smooth in texture, mix well and add maida in batches, make sure not to add them all at once, you need to add & mix well until it forms like a dough and it starts to leave the plate or bowl.
- Once it has mixed nicely and formed a dough like texture, add baking powder and incorporate well into the dough.
- Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes & cover with a cloth.
- Divide the dough in small and equal size balls, make sure to shape them in small shapes as they will get bigger in size when they soak up the sugar syrup(chaashni).
- Shape them in perfect roundels one by one and make sure there should not be any cracks on the gulab jamun, also cover the shaped balls with a moist cloth to prevent them from drying, while you’re shaping few more. By the time your shaping set the oil for frying.
- Set a wok filled with oil for frying the gulab jamuns, make sure the oil is not very hot. Then gently place the dough balls in the oil.
- Fry them on low flame maintaining the temperature and keep stirring so that they get even colour and cook evenly from the inside as well.
- Once they start to have tiny golden spots, keep on rotating them in the oil, so that the jamun are evenly browned.
- Once they are nice golden brown, immediately drop them in warm sugar, the temperature of the sugar should not exceed above 50 or the gulab jamun will become too soft and may lose its shape.
- Now, let the gulab jamun rest in the sugar syrup for minimum 4 hours so that they can absorb the syrup nicely. Your perfect gulab jamun is ready to be served.
Notes
- The khoya balls can also be fried in ghee instead of oil for a richer flavor. Also, the syrup can be flavored with rose water or saffron for a different twist.