Gulab Jamun


  Gulab Jamun is a popular and delicious desert in indian cuisine. The perfect dessert for any occasion: Birthday party, Wedding Party, Potluck party etc. Here is the recipe for Gulab Jamun using instant gulab jamun mix.

 

Ingredients:

For the Jamun:

Instant Gulab Jamun mix (100gm pkt) -1

Milk - 50 ml

Oil for frying

For the Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Cardamom Buds - 2 (slightly crushed)
Saffron Strands - 2

Preparation of gulab jamun:

• Make the dough by combining the instant gulab jamun mix powder and milk. Add just enough milk to make  medium hard dough.

•  Divide the dough into 23 or 25 equal portions. Gently roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate.

      

• Heat the oil in a pan. 

• Mean while Prepare the sugar syrup. In a bowl take 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water and boil for 5 to 10 minutes, until sugar dissolves completely. Add slightly crushed cardamom powder, Saffron strands and 1tsp of lemon juice. Lemon juice helps avoiding crystallization of sugar after the syrup cools down.

 

• Keep the syrup warm by reducing the stove heat to low.

• Now check the heat of the oil by dropping a small jamun ball into the oil, if it rises slowly to top then the oil is at the right heat. If it rises too fast means oil is very hot, then reduce the stove heat and wait for some time (until the oil is at right heat).
• Fry the jamun balls in oil until golden brown  

 

• Add the fried jamun balls directly into the warm sugar syrup

• Soak the jamun balls into sugar syrup for 20 to 30 minutes. At tis point the gulab jamuns should absorb the sugar syrup and become tender. Transfer the gulab jamuns to a serving bowl and pour the remaining syrup on top of the gulab jamun.                               
  

Tips:

• Making the dough with milk makes jamun soft and tastier. But if you want to store it at room temperature for more days (2 or 3 days), then mix it with water instead of milk.
• Adding lemon juice to sugar syrup prevents re-crystallization of sugar syrup after it cools down.