Miss Confection

Sweet things from every corner of the world

🇮🇳 India Kid-friendly

Gulab Jamun

Soft, golden milk dumplings soaked in rose and cardamom syrup

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
2 hr 45 min
Yield
About 18 gulab jamun
Level
Intermediate
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The story

Gulab jamun is one of the best-loved sweets of the Indian subcontinent. It is served at Diwali, Eid, weddings and almost any celebration where there is something to be happy about. The name combines the Persian gul, flower, and ab, water, together meaning rose water, with jamun, a dark purple Indian fruit about the same size and shape as the finished dumplings.

Its exact origin is unknown. Many food historians see a connection to Persian and Arab fried dough balls soaked in syrup, such as luqmat al-qadi, which may have travelled to India with traders and with the Mughal court. A popular legend says the sweet was created by accident in the kitchen of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, but there is no record to confirm it. Over time, Indian cooks made it their own by using khoya, milk slowly cooked down to rich solids.

Today many home cooks use milk powder instead of khoya, and that is the version here. The secrets are a soft dough that you handle gently, low frying heat so the jamun cook through before they brown, and plenty of time in warm syrup. Kids love rolling the little balls, and an adult should handle the frying.

Tips for success

  • Smooth balls are essential. Any cracks can open in the oil and make the jamun break apart.
  • Low heat is key. If the oil is too hot, the outside browns while the center stays raw and hard.
  • Add the hot jamun to warm syrup, not boiling syrup, so they soak it up without collapsing.
  • Keep them in their syrup, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and rewarm gently before serving.

Gulab Jamun

An easy gulab jamun recipe made with milk powder: soft, melt-in-your-mouth dumplings fried golden and soaked in a fragrant cardamom, saffron and rose syrup.

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
2 hr 45 min
Yield
About 18 gulab jamun
Calories
~300/serving

Ingredients

For the syrup

For the dough

For frying

Instructions

Make the syrup

  1. Combine the sugar, water, cardamom and saffron in a wide saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes until slightly sticky but not stringy.
  2. Stir in the lemon juice and rose water, then keep the syrup warm over the lowest heat.

Make the dough

  1. Whisk the milk powder, flour and baking soda together in a bowl. Rub in the melted ghee with your fingertips until crumbly.
  2. Add the warm milk a tablespoon at a time and mix gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don't knead it. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.

Shape

  1. Grease your palms with ghee. Divide the dough into 18 portions and roll each between your palms into a perfectly smooth ball with no cracks.

Fry

  1. Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of ghee or oil in a heavy pan over low heat to 275 to 300°F (135 to 150°C). A small piece of dough should rise slowly with gentle bubbles.
  2. Fry the balls in batches, gently swirling the oil rather than touching them, for 7 to 10 minutes, until they are evenly deep golden brown all over.
  3. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain for 30 seconds and drop them straight into the warm syrup.

Soak

  1. Let the gulab jamun soak for at least 2 hours, until they are plump and soft all the way through.
  2. Serve warm or at room temperature with a little syrup, garnished with pistachios.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/gulab-jamun

Questions, answered

Why are my gulab jamun hard inside?

The dough was kneaded too much, it was too dry, or the oil was too hot so the inside could not cook. Keep the dough soft and fry low and slow.

Why do gulab jamun break while frying?

Usually the balls have cracks, the dough is too soft, or there is too much baking soda. Roll the balls completely smooth and add milk gradually.

How long should gulab jamun soak in syrup?

At least 2 hours, and longer is even better. They should soak up the syrup and become soft and juicy all the way through.

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