Gulab Jamun

The 15^th has passed yet again, and my little lovebug is now 17 months old.  This month I decided to make one of our family favorite desserts- Gulab Jamun.  Gulab Jamun is basically the Pakistani/Indian version of donut holes.  They’re small balls of fried dough that are soaked in a cardamom and saffron infused simple syrup.  This recipe is a no-fail and results in perfectly soaked and soft little balls of heaven 🙂

Gulab Jamun

Yield: 15-20 Pieces

Ingredients:

For Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 5 cardamoms
• Pinch of saffron

For Dough

• 1 cup powdered milk
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons butter (melted), or oil
• Milk, enough to knead the dough (less than ¼ cup)
• Oil, to deep fry

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan, and cook at a medium temperature until the sugar dissolves.  Be sure not to overheat, as this will cause the sugar to caramelize.  Continue cooking on low after the sugar has dissolved.

Begin warming the oil in a separate vessel to fry the gulab jamun in.

Prepare the dough by combining all of the ingredients, and kneading with enough milk to form a medium-hard texture.  To check if the texture is right, roll a small amount of dough between your hands for approximately 30 seconds.  The ball should be smooth and firm.  If you notice cracks in the ball, knead more milk into the dough.

Divide the dough into small balls, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.  Be sure to cover them with a damp cloth.

Fry the gulab jamun a few at a time, making sure to gently agitate them to ensure even browning.  Add the fried gulab jamun to the sugar syrup, and transfer to a serving dish.

Allow the gulab jamun to soak overnight for best results.

Can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Note:  If the dough seems to dry out while rolling into balls, add a splash of milk.