Gulab Jamun

Have you ever tried Gulab Jamun? These delicious fried dough rounds are soaked in syrup and have the most pleasant aroma. The name gulab actually comes from the Persian word for rose water, while jamun refers to the sweet's shape and means black plum in Hindi-Urdu. The dough used to make gulab jamun is typically made with khoya, which is a type of dried milk, and mixed with flour and whole milk to create a soft and sticky dough. Trust me, they're absolutely amazing!

makes approximately 15 jamuns

INGREDIENTS 

DOUGH

• ¾ cup milk powder

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 tbsp ghee

• milk

SYRUP

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 ½ cup water

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 cardamom

• vanilla

• 1 tsp dried rose petals

• 3-4 saffron strands

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat your frying oil.

2. Whisk together your milk powder, flour, and baking soda.

3. Knead in the ghee; the mixture will start to resemble sand

4. Start to add milk until the mixture represents a soft, smooth dough

• I usually need half to 1 cup of milk, but this depends on the quality of your milk powder.

1. Set the dough aside, and start your syrup. In a mortar, pound your cardamom, rose, and saffron together.

2. In a saucepan, combine your water and sugar over medium heat.

3. Mix in your spices and salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a soft simmer, and in honey, and cover.

4. Roll your dough into small balls- mine range from the size of a nickel or a quarter.

5. Fry your dough balls on medium heat, stirring often so that the balls evenly cook.

6. As they turn a darkish golden brown, strain from the oil and drop them into your syrup.

7. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour before serving warm, with ice cream of course (: