Gulab Jamun(with khoya) is the king of all Indian sweets. Kala Jamun is the bigger brother. Both taste similar except that latter is black in color. You can make it in various ways.
Gulab jaman with milk powder and maida/Plain flour if you do not have mawa handy. Some people also make it with paneer. You can also make gulab jamun gluten free by using only sweet potato and milk powder. In this case, we do not add any flour. You will fall in love with it every time you taste it.It is a must for parties and weddings. Best served hot with cold vanilla ice cream. It always makes you go weak in the knees. No wonder there are so many mixes and canned tins available. Most of us have eaten instant gulab jamun recipe from Gits. These days you can even get a cake with this flavor. However, this recipe is for those who love to make it from scratch.
I loved making Kala jamun without maida/plain flour. Both versions are tasty and decadent.
what is gulab jamun?
It is an Indian dessert balls filled with crumbled cottage cheese or nuts. They are dunked in a sugar syrup eaten hot or cold. It comes in many sizes round, cylindrical.
Small round ones /mini version are also called angoori jamun. These days people also make bread gulab jamun as a fusion dessert. I am yet to try making gulab jamun with bread. Someday for sure.
Mawa Bati Nostalgia
My love for Gulab Jamuns started with I visited Mhow cantonment.My favourite uncle was posted there in the Army cantt. I fell in love with this sweet on my bus trip to Mhow and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Hot Mawa baati sold in small terracotta pots stole my heart away. I must be around 10-12 years old.Decades later,the memory is still fresh.Just as the one I just gulped down while writing this post.
Amritsar definitely has beautiful Gulab Jamuns. Best ones fried in Ghee.I loved watching huge woks at local sweet shops.
One of them definitely was Chappan Bhog at Bhopal Madhya Pradesh. Guess the foodie in one always reminds you, of your childhood.
I can never eat just one.Eat it hot when its cold outside.Eat it cold when its hot.You can never get over it.For the gulab jamun there is no season and you need no reason!
Can I use milk powder to make gulab jamun ?
Yes, you can use milk powder to make them,even the mawa we have used is made with milk powder. We suggest to make instant mawa using our recipe first and then make gulab jamun from it.Read the recipe here
Why gulab jamun becomes hard?
If you ratio of khoya/mawa with plain flour is not correct then there is a high chance of it to become hard.
Step wise pictures of gulab jamun
1.Take homemade instant mawa along with paneer and maida(plain flour)in a bowl.
2. Knead the mix to make a smooth dough and keep the stuffing ready.
3. Make round balls of the dough below and add some stuffing in between.Shape them into smooth balls.
4.Fry them in ghee/oil
5.Take out when golden brown,leave in sugar syrup.
Read the recipe of Gulab Jamun below
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
For gulab jamun:
- 1 cup mawa/khoya/reduced milk
- ¼ cup paneer /fresh cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup maida /plain flour
For stuffing:
- 2 tbsp chopped kaju/cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp elaichi /cardamom
For sugar syrup:
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups white sugar
Instructions
- Mix the fresh mava with paneer and maida using a stand mixer for 10-15 mins.If you are mixing dough with hands it will take longer around 20-25 mins. Make a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into small portions.
- Make a round ball and fill ½ tsp of stuffing in each. Ensure the balls are smooth else it will crack during frying.
- Heat oil in a kadai/saucepan
- Fry the dough balls on a slow flame,stirring slowly continuously.
- Meanwhile, heat the water and sugar in a different saucepan to get the sugar syrup.
- Transfer the balls to sugar syrup and let it cool for few hours.
- Serve hot or cold.Best served hot with vanilla ice-cream.
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