Gulab Janum

 

Can you believe how easy it is to make perfectly soft and delicious Gulab Jamuns at home? These little beauties are irresistibly soft, juicy, and melt-in-the-mouth, making them the perfect dessert for any occasion. They’re also ideal when you’re entertaining, as you can prepare them a day in advance: giving them plenty of time to soak up the fragrant sugar syrup and become wonderfully juicy and flavourful.

Ingredients (Makes 20-24 Pieces):

For the Gulab Jamun Balls:

• Milk Powder: 2 cups
• All-purpose Flour (Maida): 1/2 cup
• Milk: Around 5-6 tbsp (Depends on quantity required for binding)
• Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Baking Soda: 1/4th tsp
• Ghee: 1-2 tbsp

For the Sugar Syrup:

• Sugar: 2 cups
• Water: 2 cups
• Green Cardamom (Chhoti Elaichi): 3
• Saffron (Kesar): 3-4 Strands (Optional)
• Rose Essence: 2-3 drops OR Rose Water: 3-4 tbsp

Method:

• Start off with making the sugar syrup by adding water and sugar in a utensil and heating it till the sugar dissolves. 
• Even after the sugar dissolves, let the syrup boil for 2-3 more minutes.
• In the meanwhile, add seeds of the green cardamom to it while it boils.
• Once you turn off the stove, add the rose essence / rose water and saffron to it. Keep it aside.
• Now, for the Gulab Jamun balls, add milk powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda in a vessel. Mix it all well and gradually add the milk to the mixture, and kneed it for around 4-5 minutes to form a firm dough. (Please note: You know the dough is perfectly formed when it doesn't have a single crack in it)
• Take out marble-sized portions from the dough (the balls need to be small because they will double in size when fried and soaked in sugar syrup) and roll them into smooth, round balls, gently with the palms of your hand, making sure there are no cracks.
• In a Kadhai, add a lot of oil (around 500ml) for deep frying the Gulab Jamuns and heat it till it is moderately hot and start adding the dough balls in batches. (Do not overcrowd the Kadhai as we want to leave space for them to fry without sticking to each other)
• Fry them on medium-low flame, turning them continuously, till they reach the appropriate golden-brown colour as shown in the picture.
• As soon as they are fried, add them to the sugar syrup. 
• Let the soak for atleast 4-5 hours, but 10-12 hours will be ideal.
• You can garnish them with rose petals if needed.