Gulab jamun is one of the traditional Indian sweet desserts made from khoya which is nothing but milk solids or with milk powder. The people from different parts of India prepare this sweet dish for their festive and it is common all year round. This soft gulab jamun dessert finds its place in all Indian weddings, birthday parties, potlucks, and most buffet meals. The recipe shared here is with step-by-step instructions and a short video that will help you to make juicy, soft, and melt-in-mouth gulab jamun easily at home.
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What is Gulab Jamun?
Gulab Jamun is a soft and juicy classical Indian sweet dish prepared with khoya or milk powder. The khoya or milk powder is mixed along with flour and a leavening agent to make gulab jamun dough. Then the dough is shaped into balls and deep-fried in oil. The balls are then soaked in delicious cardamom and rose flavored sugar syrup.
The word Gulab refers to Rose and Jamun to berry in the Hindi language. This Gulab jamun is one of the popular sweet dishes one can find in most Indian households and sweet stalls. You can see these appetizing sweet balls in most of the houses especially during festivals and special occasions. Not only in houses but also in most Indian restaurants across the globe.
Ingredients
The ingredients that you will need for this recipe are minimal and you can make delicious gulab jamun from scratch.
For making dough
- Milk Powder - Full-fat milk powder works best for this recipe that delivers soft gulab jamuns. But I have used fat-free milk powder in this recipe that turned out pretty decent for me. But to achieve even softer jamuns then I would recommend the full-fat milk powder(will soon update a recipe with khoya and instant mix)
- All-purpose flour and semolina - Both ingredients help to make a perfect dough
- Milk - Used to combine the dough and helps in delivering a rich flavor and taste
- Ghee - gives a rich flavor and taste to most Indian sweet desserts
- Baking Powder - used as a leavening agent here
For frying and sugar syrup
- Sugar and water - The sugar water ratio should be 1:1 or 1: 1½ for making a perfect sugar syrup. Usually, sugar syrup for this particular sweet requires only sticky consistency (if you touch with your thumb it should be sticky)
- Cardamom - Act as a flavoring agent that gives fresh aroma and taste to the sweet. Even though I haven't used rose essence here, you could feel free to use it if it's really handy for you
- Lemon juice - helps to avoid crystallization of sugar
- Oil for frying - You could also use ghee for frying for rich flavor and taste
How to make Gulab Jamun?
The recipe shared here is a basic gulab jamun with the milk powder, semolina, and all-purpose flour. And it yields up to 10 pieces and you can also make it into 20 pieces by making small shape jamuns. So in this section let us see how to make a soft and juicy beginner-friendly gulab jamun easily at home with step-by-step instruction and video.
To give an clear idea, the process involves four parts.
- Making of gulab jamun dough
- Shaping and Frying
- Making sugar syrup
- Soaking
1. Making gulab jamun dough
To make the dough, first add all the dry ingredients, ghee, and crumble and mix. Then pour the milk in batches to combine the dough. The dough will look sticky but it shapes perfectly well without any cracks. Once done, close the bowl with lid or plastic cling and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
You can also skip semolina and follow the other ingredients but make sure to combine the dough smooth and soft.
2. Shaping and frying
After the above-mentioned time, open the lid and take a small portion of the dough and start shaping with your palms. Make sure to apply some oil or ghee to your palms, so that the dough does not stick.
You can choose your desired size and shape. The shapes can circular, oval and size can vary from mini to large. I have made it big, and you could feel free to choose your preferred size.
Frying - Now in a deep bottom pan, pour oil and allow it to warm up in medium heat.
Oil Check - Add in a small dough and the dough should come up without browning. This approves the temperature of the oil is perfect to fry your shaped dough. Fry the balls in batches without overcrowding. Make sure to stir them on and off which helps the balls cook evenly.
Once the dough is fried, drain them in tissue paper and allow it to cool down completely. Meanwhile, you can prepare the sugar syrup.
3. Making sugar syrup
To make sugar syrup, first in a deep bottom pan with medium heat, add in sugar, cardamom, rose essence, and water. Allow the sugar to dissolve completely and squeeze some lemon juice into it.
At this stage, you can also 1 tsp of rose essence to enhance the flavor. Allow the sugar-water mixture to boil until it reaches a sticky consistency. Now simmer the heat and add the fried balls one by one. Close the lid of the pan and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the heat.
4. Soaking
Soak the gulab jamun for at least 2 hours. Yes, you have to prepare this sweet ahead if you're planning to serve it for a party or a meal. After 2 hours the balls will be soaked nicely and it would be doubled in its size. You can serve it immediately or you can chill it in the refrigerator before serving it as a dessert.
Variations
Traditionally gulab jamun is either prepared with khoya or milk powder. But there are also variations apart from the above-mentioned ingredients. For instance, you could also make this sweet with bread, paneer, potatoes, and much more.
You could also make gulab jamun cake with instant mix powder or with left over sweet.
Tips
The key to getting perfect Jamun is making the dough in the right consistency. The dough should have enough moisture and it looks sticky if you are making it with milk powder.
Grease your palm with ghee or oil to shape the balls which avoid the dough sticking to your hands. And it also helps to shape them without cracks.
Always fry the Gulab Jamun dough in medium heat which helps the dough to cook evenly. Do not cook in high heat which results in hard and cracked jamuns
Always allow the fried Jamuns to cool down to room temperature before adding them to the hot sugar syrup. This results in juicy and moist Gulab jamuns.
Storage Suggestions
Gulab jamun stays fresh for 2 days at room temperature and it can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. And this timeline depends on the sugar syrup. If the sugar syrup is sticky the sweet will stay longer and if it is not in the right consistency then the jamuns will not be palatable for the above-mentioned time period.
You could also find similar recipes below. Visit Sweet Recipes for more.
Gulab Jamun Recipe video
I have shared easy, detailed video instructions below to make this soft and juicy Gulab Jamun at home. And I believe it will help you prepare and enjoy this sweet. For a quick reference, you could also find the Gulab Jamun recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk Powder
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Semolina, or rava
- ¾ cup Milk
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- Oil, for frying
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
For sugar syrup
- 2 cups Sugar
- 4 Cardamom
- 2½ cups Water
Instructions
To Prepare Gulab Jamun Dough
- In a bowl, add milk powder, Rava, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and ghee
- Gradually add milk in batches and combine all the ingredients well
- Make sure the consistency of the dough is semi-liquid
- Cover and rest the dough for 10 minutes
- Open the wrap and grease your hands with oil or ghee to avoid sticking
- Divide the dough into equal parts and roll the dough into medium-sized balls with the help of your hands
To Fry the Dough
- In a frying pan with medium heat, pour oil and add gulab jamun dough one by one
- Fry the dough and flip it on and off
- Continue to do so until the dough turns golden brown in color
- Remove the balls from the oil and allow it to cool down to room temperature
To Prepare Sugar Syrup
- In a wide bottom pan with medium heat, add sugar, water, and cardamom pods and allow the sugar to dissolve completely
- Let the syrup to boil, squeeze lemon juice, and mix well. Wait until the syrup turns sticky
To Soak The Gulab Jamun
- Add the fried gulab jamun balls into it one by one
- Simmer the heat and close the pan with a lid for 2 minutes
- Switch off the heat and let it soak for 2 hours
- Open the lid and the gulab jamun would have doubled in its size
To Serve
- Serve the delicious juicy gulab jamun immediately. Alternatively, you could refrigerate it to enjoy for up to 2 weeks
Video
Notes
- To make perfect gulab jamun without cracks, make sure the dough has enough moisture and it looks sticky if you are making it with milk powder.
- Applying oil or ghee in palms before shaping the dough helps to shape it without any cracks
- Shaping doughs into medium-sized balls gives nice bigger jamuns after soaking them in the sugar syrup
- Adding lemon juice to the sugar syrup helps to avoid crystallization of sugar
- Always fry the Gulab Jamun dough in medium heat which helps the dough to cook evenly. Do not cook in high heat which results in hard and cracked jamuns
- Always allow the fried Jamuns to cool down to room temperature before adding them to the hot sugar syrup. This results in juicy and moist Gulab jamuns.
- This gulab jamun can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
Nutrition
FAQ
Gulab jamun is a classic deep-fried milk sweet soaked in cardamom and rose-flavored sugar syrup. This sweet is traditionally made with khoya(milk solid) or with instant ready-made mix bought at stores. The word Gulab means rose and Jamun means berry in Hindi.
Gulab jamun has plenty of variations. Even though authentic gulab jamun is prepared either with khoya or milk powder, you can make variations with bread, potato, sweet potato, and a lot more.
The gulab jamuns may turn hard or dry due to the following reasons, less moisture, incorrect measurement of ingredients(especially flour and baking soda).
The gulab jamuns may break if the sugar syrup is not sticky consistency. And it may break if the baking soda or powder is excess in quantity than preferred for this recipe.
The main reason for gulab jamuns to break while frying is the temperature of the oil. Always heat the oil in medium heat and if you add a small dough to it, it should rise without browning. Frying the dough in very hot oil or low heat will result in breaking, cracks on the surface, and also sometimes half-cooked gulab jamuns.
Another important reason is the dough might be too dry or tight. To make a perfect sweet the dough should be not tight or dry. So make sure to combine the dough with enough moisture in the right consistency as suggested in the recipe card above.
Gulab jamun stays fresh for 2 days at room temperature and it can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. And this timeline depends on the sugar syrup. If the sugar syrup is sticky the sweet will stay longer and if it is not in the right consistency then the jamuns will not be palatable for the above-mentioned time period.
Enjoy the recipe and let us know your feedback in the comment section below !
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