GULAB JAMUN

Ingredients:

Milk Powder - 1 cup

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Butter (melted) - 2 tbsp

Whole milk - enough to make the dough

For the Sugar Syrup:

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 1 cup

Oil/Ghee for frying

Method:

How to make gulab jamun:

Make the dough by combining the milk powder, all purpose flour,soda, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough.

Divide the dough into 25-30 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate.

Heat the oil/ghee on high and then lower the heat to medium.

Drop in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, but do not try to move them. Instead, gently rotate the oil to avoid the balls from browning on just one side.

After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Keep rotating the oil so that jamuns are evenly browned on all sides.

If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break and wont cook from inside.

The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperature ensuring complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup:

The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm.

To make the sugar syrup add mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water.

Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and rose essence.

Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.

Also add 3-4 drops of lime/lemon juice to prevent crystallization of sugar.

Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove.

Add the fried gulab jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results.

They can be served warm or at room temperature.