Kala Jamun Recipe Black Gulab Jamun

My all-time favourite desserts are Butterscotch Tart and Kala Jamun. We would asked mum to make these Jamuns for me, Farsi Puri for my brother and Peanut Chikki for Dad before she goes to India, while we stay back at home. No wonder Mum always says she has 3 kids 🤣 ● It is sumptuous and popular Indian mithai or dessert that is made served or gifted during festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, Raksha Bandhan or any get-together. ● Although it’s origin is the eastern part of India, it can be found in any nook and corner of India, original or with some variations and with different names. ● They are rich and sinful (not for weight watchers) but above all, tastes absolutely amazing and irresistible. ● Nutty, chewy and sweet. These Black Jamuns are addictive and the recipe is simple and straight forward. ● The doughnuts are prepared using Indian cottage cheese (Paneer), also known as chenna, milk solids known as Khoya, Khova or Mawa. ● To bind them, a small amount of all-purpose flour and semolina added, leavening agent baking powder used for making balls softer inside. ● These doughnuts are deep fried in hot oil or ghee on a low heat until the outer layer turns deep dark brown. ● Then they are soaked in warm saffron and cardamom infused sugar syrup for at least 5-6 hours before serving. My English friends at uni didn’t know the difference between Gulab Jamun and Kala Jamun. On a couple of occasions, I offered these two delicacies to them and explained that there is a significant difference between these two Indian sweets in their colours and texture although the ingredients and the cooking methods are very similar. Gulab Jamuns are so soft and melts in the mouth. The surface is so smooth and lightly golden colour, made with khoya and maida and without stuffing. Kala Jamuns are little grainy and chewy. While the surface is more firm and deep dark in colour thus they are known as ‘Kala’ (Black). It is prepared with khoya, paneer, plain flour, semolina and stuffed with the nutty mixture, a pinch of sugar added to the dough to make jamuns darker in colour. Packed with freshness and better flavours – when any dish is made at home with fresh and quality ingredients it tastes so much better than the shop bought. We know what exact ingredients and how much we have put in. Save time and money – homemade sweets are usually cheaper to make than buying it from the market, also saves time and is convenient. Family comes closer – you don’t have to be an expert in making sweets, but when you prepare at home, family members appreciate your efforts and see your love and care. Everyone in the family gets involved in producing these delightful goodies. What khoya/Mawa to use for Kala Jamun or Gulab Jamun? For the rest of the world, there is only one type of khoya or mawa available in the shop, but in India, there are a few varieties like Chikna Khoya, Danedaar Khoya and Batti Khoya. Different khoya varieties for different recipes, for Jamun recipes halwai (sweet makers) and many cooks prefer Chikna Khoya, which is very slippery and smooth.

What goes in Kala Jamun?

Khoya/Mawa-in English known as milk solids. I have used Homemade Chikna Khoya, it is a particular type of Khoya that is sold as ‘Jamun Ka Khoya’ in many shops in India. I made khoya at home which was a little lengthy process but you can use shop-bought khoya easily available in any Asian grocery in the dairy section, again time-saving.
Paneer-Indian cottage cheese, shop-bought works absolutely fine but I prefer homemade paneer for the sweets.
Sugar-granulated white sugar or regular white sugar.
Nuts and Spices-to make the stuffing I have used raw unsalted pistachio, saffron and cardamom powder, for the sugar syrup saffron threads and cardamom powder.
Flours-all-purpose or plain flour to bind the Jamun dough, and semolina to bring the grainy texture to the doughnuts.
Baking powder-check the use-by date and freshness of the powder before using it.
Oil or Ghee – to deep fry the jamuns, you can use either of these. If using oil try to use flavourless oil. If living in a cooler climate, avoid using ghee as once they are cooled ghee solidifies.
Chandi Ka Vark/Warq – It is an edible silver foil which is used for decorating Indian sweets and savoury dishes. It’s optional. 13 important tips and tricks to make the Best Kala Jamun at home. Although this recipe is an easy and straight forward, with some important tips and tricks, one can achieve the best results. I have included these 13 tips in my fusion recipe Chocolate Peanut Kala Jamun. Don’t forget to check it out before you venture into making these. Can I use milk powder instead of Khoya or Mawa? Definitely yes, full fat or full cream milk powder can be used as a substitute for khoya. Add a couple of tbsp milk, one tbsp ghee in the powder, mix it well. Then use it. How long can you store Kala Jamun? You can store this Indian dessert for 3-4 days at the room temperature without any worries. If kept in the refrigerator it stays perfect even for a week. Make sure you store them in an airtight container, don’t keep it near the strong odour food, bring it at room temperature before serving.

Dry Kala Jamun

In many places these jamuns are sold or served without any sugar syrup. To make dry Jamun, remove them from the sugar syrup after 5-6 hours. Either roll them into the desiccated coconut or cut in the middle with a sharp knife and fill it with the fresh whipped cream. Leftover Kala Gulab Jamun sugar syrup (chasni) Do I discard it? surely not, we desi don’t like to waste food but rather follow this ideology ‘Best Out Of Waste” You’ll be surprised to see how you can use leftover sugar syrup to create delicious recipes. Indian sugar syrup known as chasni can be used in making Mixed Dry Fruit & Seeds Brittle, Shahi Atte Ka Halwa, Gulgule, Biranj (sweet rice dishes), Meethi (sweet) poori, or Chutney, especially Bengali style Chutney made with sugar. My Nanima sometimes had used in making tea too. Can you imaging Gulab jamun flavour Tea, sounds interesting right! 😋

HOW TO MAKE Kala Jamun or Black Gulab Jamun sweet step by step?

Printable recipe card with exact measurements and methods below 🢃 To simplify there is cups and tablespoons measurements as well as a metric to this recipe. The traditional way to make Kala Jam at home, you’ll need roughly between 50-60 minutes. ◾ To make Chasni, the first steps is to make easy and perfect chasni or sugar syrup – in a pan combine water and sugar, use stainless steel or non-stick pan. Dissolve on medium heat, by stirring occasionally. Once it starts getting little stickier and thicker turn off the heat and add saffron threads and cardamom powder. The chasni (sugar syrup) process will take approximately 10-12 minutes. ◾ Knead the dough for Jamuns – the second step in this recipe is to knead a soft and pliable dough. Mash the Khoya and paneer until smooth, add plain flour, baking powder and a big pinch of sugar. Make stuffing by mixing khoya, nuts, saffron and cardamom powder. Roughly it should not take more than 12-15 minutes. ◾ Frying and Soaking – the third and final step is to fry the jamuns on a low heat in small batches, until dark brown and soak them in the warm and aromatic chasni that is infused with Kesar and elaychi. (saffron+cardamom). Frying may take up to 20-25 minutes on low heat, but the soaking process will take up to 5-6 hours. Equipment/Tools ● Cheese grater to grate the paneer and khoya ● 2-3 big and wide plates to knead the dough ● 1 saucepan to make sugar syrup ● 1 big spoon to stir the sugar syrup ● Frying pan or Kadai to fry the jamuns ● Slotted spoon (Jaro) to remove the jamuns from the kadai.