The traditional and classic gulab jamun with khoya is a very famous Indian sweet or dessert that is enjoyed by young and old in most of the festive celebration meals. No matter which region you travel, you are sure to get hold of some Gulab jamuns. These sticky sweet deep fried balls aren’t for weight watchers as they are loaded with calories but once in a while, you are allowed to cheat right? Gulab Jamun is the most favourite and preferred dessert or sweet for any happy occasions such as birthday parties, weddings or festivals like Diwali, Holi or Ramadan. A bowlful of hot or cold gulab jamun bowl brings nothing but the utter joy of heaven! And that’s exactly how I feel. I remember my mum making a big batch of Gulab jamuns every Diwali. She would use pure mawa or khoya (Indian milk solids) to make jamuns (balls) and add rose water in the sugar syrup to get the essence of floral flavours. Being Indian in origin, I too love Gulab Jamun and kala jamun, Paneer Gulab Jamun, Sweet Potato Gulab jamun More Indian Sweets Recipes- Bombay Ice and Golden Halwa | Habshi Halwa | Malai Dodha Barfi | Beetroot kalakand | Figs, Chocolate and Cashew Rolls | Chocolate and Rose Kalakand | Because we hadn’t had any Gulab Jamun for sometimes, we decided to make some for this years Raksha Bandhan, Usually, I prepare Gujarati meal on this day, but this time we decided to prepare Awadhi dishes, amidst the lavish feast of Awadhi food, ending the meal with kesar gulab jamun which seemed not just fitting but also much-needed treat. These creamy melt in the mouth milk powder gulab jamun were so aromatic, spices such as saffron and cardamom give it that required warmth in delicious in Indian desserts. Now, we know that numerous Indian festivals are lined up until right up to November, so do not shy away from this Gulab Jamun but add to your dessert menu and get ready to receive many compliments. What are Kesar Gulab Jamun? Usually, authentic gulab jamun dough is prepared with mawa or khoya, and no any other ingredients are added to bring any flavours, in the sugar syrup rose water added for the floral note. But I have added saffron threads in the dough and sugar syrup and omitted the rose water. Can I make Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder? Yes, you can. If khoya or Mawa is not available use full-fat milk powder. How can I make soft and melt in mouth Gulab Jamun using milk powder? Usually, with milk powder, many add semolina, which makes gulab jamun little hard and cracks. Avoid semolina, knead the dough thoroughly and make a soft and sticky dough. When you make balls, make sure there are no cracks. What other ingredients can I add for more flavours? You can add cardamom powder, also can stuff one whole pistachio or chocolate chips in each ball. On what temperature should I fry the gulab jamun in oil or ghee? To get the perfect gulab jamun, first heat oil or ghee on a high heat once heated turn off the heat, let the oil cool then again heat the oil on a very low-medium heat and fry the gulab jamun so that the inner side of the jamun cooks well too. What so Gulab jamun doesn’t break in oil while frying? In the dough, if you’ve added too much soda bi-co, gulab jamuns will break. So take care, when you add soda bi-co. Make sure balls are rolled properly without cracks. Do not overcrowd the kadai by adding many jamuns same time. make sure oil temperature is maintained throughout the whole frying process. What colour Gulab Jamun should be? Gulab Jamun should be between light to medium brown. For how long I should keep Gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup before serving? At least 5 hours, the more the better. Gulab Jamun best served hot or cold? Gulab jamun is delicious and irresistible hot or cold (at room temperature) it depends on you how you like it. In my family, we like both ways. According to my daughter when it is hot, it is sweeter. What do I serve with Gulab jamun? Traditional way you don’t need anything to serve with, just serve at room temperature. But nowadays I’ve seen hot Gulab Jamun served with vanilla or kesar Pista ice cream and sometimes cream too. You can garnish it with toasted almond or pistachio slivers too. Can I make Vegan and sugar free Gulab Jamun? Yes, you can Do you like to read our blog? Then don’t forget to sign up for email updates to get new recipes delivered right to your inbox. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. If you make this recipe, please don’t forget to click a picture and hashtag it #jcookingodyssey. We really want to see 🙂
