Yum! Yum! Yum!

'Gulab Jamun' is a popular North  Indian Dessert and made for all the occasions or festivals  in India. It is a milk based dessert, where the Milk Powder, butter and flour formed dumplings are deep fried and soaked in light rose flavored sugar syrup. The name 'Gulab' means rose and 'Jamun' means a Jamun fruit ( Neredu in telugu) as the shape of these dumplings resembles the Jamun fruit and soaked in Rose flavored syrup this dessert got the name 'Gulab Jamun'.

Gulab Jamun

 It has been quite some time that I have made this recipe, but never get to post it. I have made this for my 'honey' who is a sweet lover and especially dies for Gulab Jamuns. I took the effort to make these Jamuns for our special day, to make it even more special I have made them from scratch and surprised the Hubby... on our 10th Anniversary day. He indulged with these soft and sweet jamuns that melts in mouth leaving a heavenly feeling  for taste buds. I have used the recipe from Divya's Culinary Journey, and these Jamuns exactly turned like as she described, and at the end you will be convinced just like me that  'No more MTR Instants', when making Gulab Jamuns from scratch is so much easy with this recipe.  Here is my version, Njoy!



Ingredients:

For Jamuns:
Milk Powder - 1 cup ( Mawa Powder or Carnation Milk Powder)
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 2 Tbsp ( at room temperature)
Milk - 5 Tbsp ( to make dough)
Oil - for deep frying the Jamuns

For Syrup:
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Method:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Milk Powder, APF and baking soda. Add Butter and mix it well. Start adding milk in small quantities to make a dough. Cover the dough with lid and leave for 10 min aside. (to make the baking soda work in it).
2. Meanwhile, Add Sugar and Water in a stock pot and boil it for 5 min. Add crushed cardamom, rose water and boil for another 5 min. You will notice sugar syrup is forming ( I like it semi sweet so I always make very thin syrup for Gulab Jmauns) syrup should be little sticky. Once that consistency is reached switch off the stove and keep the sugar syrup on the side. 
3. Take a Kadai and Heat the oil for deep frying the balls. 
4. Now start making small balls with the Dough in between your palms. Make sure the Dough balls don't have any cracks. Other wise they will break once you drop them in the oil. 
5. Once the oil is hot, drop the dough balls carefully and fry them until they turn to golden brown color. 
6. Take of the excess oil by patting them with paper towel. And drop these Jamuns in the sugar syrup and let them soak for at least 2 -3 hours. 

Serve these delicious and wonderful Jamuns warm or cold as your Dessert. You will be close to Heaven when you have the Warm Jamuns with Cold Ice Cream. Warm and Cold sounds weird combination but it creates taste twinkles in  your mouth for sure.  Try it out and let me know....and do you have another new combination to serve this desert, please share your ideas with my readers.

Warm Gulab Jamun served with Cold Vanilla Ice Cream..... Hmmmmm!

Notes:

• I prefer to soak the Jamuns for at least half-day. Usually I make them in the morning in order to serve in the evening. 
• I like thin sugar syrup for Gulab Jamuns to make them mild sweet. If you like heavy syrup, make syrup with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. 
• Alternate to rose essence you can use saffron flakes as well for nice flavor.
• The fried dumpling will be doubled in size after they are soaked fully in the syrup. So make sure you make small size dough balls. (as they double in size at the end)

Take care until we meet here again..
-Mythreyi