Want to make best gulab jamun recipe but never found the perfect recipe? This post will answer all of your khoya gulab jamun woes so that you can achieve the best results every single time. Makes perfect jamuns that are just like those found in mithai shops – soft + spongy for days, moist in the middle with an even colour all over.
The best homemade Gulab Jamun
What is Gulab Jamun?
This classic South Asian dessert is made from milk-solid balls of dough which are deep-fried and then soaked in a rose-scented warm sugar syrup. The result are intensely sweet soft and spongy doughnuts, sweet balls, that can be served warm or at room temperature. Gulab Jamun literally translates as “rose” and “berries”. The rose refers to the rose sugar syrup and the berries refers to the berry like colour and smooth round ball shape of the gulab jamun. Gulab Jamun is the most popular Indian dessert recipe enjoyed and served during the festive season such as Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, special occasions and dinner parties. You can readily buy instant gulab jamun mix in a packet in indian store and supermarkets if you are pushed for time. We once made a Gulab Jamun Mix Cake which turned out to be an absolute show stopper. Use leftover Gulab Jamun to make No Bake Gulab Jamun Cheesecake or these Gulab Jamun Truffles
Kala Jamun vs Gulab Jamun
The traditional Gulab Jamun recipe is similar to Kala Jamun but has key differences. Kala Jamun are darker on the outside (hence kala meaning black). They are typically made from paneer or chenna. They are less spongy and more dense. The surface is also a little firmer rather than soft gulab jamun. See our Kala Jamun post here, or for something a little bit different, try Peanut Butter and Chocolate Kala Jamun
Our GJ Odyssey
Soft gulab jamuns are particularly special in our household and our love for them goes way back! My grandma would without a doubt make a batch of beautiful gulab jamun every single Diwali along with other Diwali sweets and savouries. They were also served at my parents’ wedding for dessert. They were then made for my Mum’s 21st birthday – her first birthday celebrated in the UK. Even on my 1st birthday – you guessed it, we had classic indian dessert, Gulab Jamun – shame I was probably too young to enjoy them then! We’ve also sneaked them in randomly over the years too – who needs a reason to make these after all?! Some of our favourite Diwali recipes are includes most popular Indian sweets
Angoori Gulab Jamun
If we are being precise, then these Gulab Jamun are actually Angoori Gulab Jamun. This is still the same Gulab Jamun recipe however the balls are smaller in size like “angoor” or grapes. Normal Gulab Jamun tend to be a little larger. Angoori Gulab Jamun are perfect for parties or kids as they are bite sized.
Ingredients for perfect Gulab Jamun
The dough
Traditional recipe of the Gulab Jamun dough is made with khoya (or khoa, mawa). Khoya is essentially a milk solids that is made by simmering whole or full cream milk until the moisture evaporates and reduces. You can make homemade khoya at home using just three ingredients – milk powder, milk and ghee. Adding chikna khoya to gulab jamun makes them more rich and gives them the restaurant or halwai style taste and flavour. You can also find khoya ready made in South Asian or Indian grocery stores – just check the chilled section where paneer would be kept. Flour is needed to bind the ingredients to form a dough. Plain white flour or all purpose flour is the flour of choice here. Baking powder is also added to the dough. The baking powder activates during the frying process. If using baking soda instead of baking powder you will only need a pinch of it as it is much more potent than baking powder! To bind all of the ingredients together, we have used whole milk which also has a second use – the fat helps keep the center of the jamun moist and soft. A small pinch of cardamom powder in the dough, enhances the taste of homemade gulab jamuns.
The sugar syrup
Once the dough balls are fried, they are then left to soak in sugary syrup. In gulab jamuns, the syrup is flavoured with rose, saffron strands and green cardamom. The saffron and crushed cardamom pods can be added as the syrup cooks. The rose flavour comes through adding rose water or rose essence. This should be added after the syrup is cooked. We have used 8 cups of sugar with 7 cups of water so this should give you an idea of the ratio we are looking for. A few drops of lemon juice are also added to the syrup to prevent the syrup from crystallising as it cools so it can remain a liquid.
Frying ingredients
Typically the jamuns are fried in either a neutral flavoured oil or ghee. I prefer oil when deep frying because ghee tends to solidify at room temperature (especially here in chilly UK)! The gulab jamuns may crust over slightly and have a white-ish appearance. We have used vegetable oil here.
Variations
You will find many variations of Gulab Jamun recipes out there.
Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder
Many recipes out there suggest using milk powder directly into the dough rather than making khoya.
Gulab Jamun with Sooji
Some may add a few tbsp of sooji or coarse semolina to the dough. Adding semolina is a good idea if you are making the dough with milk powder rather than khoya. Semolina prevents the GJ from going chewy and keeps them soft
Channar Puli – Gulab Jamun with Paneer and condensed milk
Gulab Jamun can also be made with Paneer. This Bengali recipe called Channar Puli uses both grated paneer and condensed milk. These are still different from kala jamun.
Shakkarkand Jamun – Sweet Potato and Coconut Gulab Jamun
These Bengali jamuns are made with sweet potato, known as Shakkarkand Jamun, are absolutely delicious! We have added a coconut flavoured twist to these. We have made flavour variations to the dough and made Kesar Gulab Jamun also.
How to make the best Gulab Jamun
The perfect Gulab Jamun dough
The first step we need to do is knead the khoya by hand to ensure it is grain-free and smooth. This will take around 10 minutes. Use the heels of your palm and you will find this process much easier. Take small bits of khoya at a time. After the khoya is creamy and smooth, the baking powder and plain flour can be added. Once the flour and baking powder is added to the khoya, do not over knead as this will cause gluten production. Gluten causes the jamuns to become hard and chewy. Add the flour little by little and have a feel of the dough. If the dough is not sticky, you do not need to add more flour. Milk is added here to bring the dough together. The dough should be a similar consistency to Gujarati chapati dough – it should be soft dough that by rolling in your hands it should not crack. Allow the prepared dough to rest and keep covered so that it does not dry out. Divide the dough in to small portions then roll in to smooth balls. To get perfectly similar size and evenly cooked pieces, I would either use a deep spoon or scales to measure out exact dough balls in equal parts. For Angoori GJ, we have measured each one as 8g, I would say normal sized small balls should be around 12g maximum. Don’t forget, the balls may look small but once they fry and get soaked in the sugar syrup they will be much larger! As you are shaping the balls, keep the remainder of the dough covered so that it does not dry out and crack. If the dough does crack then go back and add more milk a few drops at a time to achieve a smooth dough again.
The sugar syrup
As mentioned above, the sugar syrup should be thin as only thin sugar syrup will be absorbed by the balls. However if the syrup is too thin and watery it will cause them to disintegrate. To ensure the balls stay soft, the sugar syrup should be kept thin. We are not looking for a “thread” consistency as this is too thick. You will only need to boil the syrup for around 2-3 minutes, no longer. The gulab jamun should be dunked into the sugar syrup as they are taken out of the hot oil. The jamun should be soaked in the sugar syrup for at least 4 hours prior to serving. They are fine to be soaked at room temperature and do not need to go in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, heat in a microwave proof bowl with a few spoons of the syrup. They will only need about 20 seconds as they heat up really fast!
Frying
Give yourself room and use a large heavy bottom kadai or pan to make your GJ. The level of oil should be deep enough that the GJ are not touching the bottom of the pan. To check whether the oil is hot enough, place a small piece of dough into the oil. It will probably drop to the bottom with some bubbles around it. It should then float to the surface but not change colour immediately. The oil is then ready and at the correct temperature. The best jamun will be light in colour. Gulab Jamun should not be dark brown but a light brown. Dark jamun means that the outside has been burnt. The outside “skin” should be soft to the bite and the inside spongy. Also overcooking the jamun means that the outside becomes thick and the sugar syrup will not be able to penetrate into the middle.
Frying technique
To achieve an even colour throughout and to prevent dark spots on the jamun, keep the oil moving gently as the jamun are frying. Use a small spoon that has a long handle for this. A large spoon or slotted spoon may cause the GJ to break. Continue to fry on a low heat – we want the GJ to cook all the way through without going dark outside. Once they have achieved a golden brown colour, remove from the oil and place straight into the lukewarm sugar syrup. Sometimes, Gulab Jamun can sink. This is usually because the jamun have not been fried for long enough. Adding the fried jamuns immediately ensures that the syrup soaks into the jamun. Adding the jamun once they are cooled may mean that they remain dry inside.
Other Indian sweets for festivals and celebrations
Sutarfeni Homemade soft Ras Malai Gujarati Mohanthal Pumpkin Kalakand Almond Butter Barfi Bars
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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in June 2010.
