Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun are soft golden milk dumplings fried until crisp outside then soaked in a warm fragrant sugar syrup. They are the most loved Indian sweet for celebrations. Soft, juicy and scented with cardamom and rose, they are served at festivals, weddings and family gatherings across the country.
Why You Will Love These Gulab Jamun
- Soft, spongy and syrup-soaked in every bite
- Made with simple ingredients like milk powder and flour
- A festive classic that is easy to make at home
Ingredient Notes
Milk powder or khoya: The base of the dough. Flour and a pinch of baking soda: Help the dumplings stay soft and light. Ghee and milk: Bring the dough together. Sugar syrup: Flavoured with cardamom, saffron or rose water.
Tips for Soft Gulab Jamun
Fry on low heat so they cook through. Knead the dough gently and only until smooth, because over-kneading makes them hard. Keep the syrup warm and not boiling hot when soaking, so the jamuns absorb it evenly without breaking.
Serving and Storage
Serve warm with a few chopped pistachios or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Gulab jamun keep for a week in the refrigerator in their syrup. Warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my gulab jamun break while frying?
The dough may be too soft or have cracks. Knead it gently until smooth, shape the balls without cracks, and fry on low heat so they cook evenly without bursting.
Why are my gulab jamun hard inside?
Over-kneading, too much flour or frying at too high a heat can make them dense. Keep the dough soft and fry slowly until golden brown.
Should the syrup be hot or cold?
The syrup should be warm, not boiling hot, when the fried jamuns go in. Cold syrup is not absorbed well, and very hot syrup can make them break.
What consistency should the sugar syrup be?
It should be a light, one-string consistency or even thinner. A syrup that is too thick will not soak in properly.
Can I make gulab jamun with milk powder?
Yes. A dough of milk powder, flour, ghee and milk gives soft, tender jamuns and is the most common home recipe.
How long do gulab jamun keep?
They keep for about a week in the refrigerator, stored in their syrup. Warm them slightly before serving.
More Recipes You Will Love
- Rice Kheer: creamy, cardamom-scented rice pudding
- Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa): warm, ghee-rich carrot dessert
- Puran Poli: sweet stuffed flatbread for festivals
- Masala Chai (Indian Spiced Tea): strong, milky tea with warming spices
- 1 cup milk powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1/4 cup milk (as needed)
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1.5 cups water
- 4 cardamom pods (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- Oil or ghee for deep frying
- 1 Crush the CardamomLightly crush the 4 cardamom pods in a mortar or with the flat of a knife, so the husks split open and the seeds are bruised. Keep the husks and seeds together.Tip: Crushing releases the fragrant oils. Use the husks too, as they add a lot of aroma to the syrup.
- 2 Make the Sugar SyrupIn a wide pan, combine 1.5 cups of sugar, 1.5 cups of water and the crushed cardamom. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 6 to 8 minutes without stirring until the syrup turns slightly sticky.Tip: You want a light syrup, not a thick one. If you rub a drop between your finger and thumb it should feel tacky but should not form a thread. A thick syrup will not soak in.
- 3 Add the Rose Water and Keep WarmTurn off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of rose water. Cover the pan and keep the syrup warm.Tip: The syrup must be warm, not boiling hot, when the jamuns go in. Boiling syrup can make them break or turn hard.
- 4 Sift the Dry IngredientsIn a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of milk powder, 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Whisk to mix evenly.Tip: Sifting spreads the baking soda evenly. Too much soda makes the jamuns break, and too little makes them dense.
- 5 Rub in the GheeAdd 2 tablespoons of ghee and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips for about 1 minute, until it looks like fine, even breadcrumbs.Tip: Rub it in lightly, using just your fingertips. The ghee makes the jamuns soft and tender.
- 6 Add the Milk and Bring TogetherAdd the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1/4 cup in total, mixing gently until the crumbs come together into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Do not knead hard. Just press it together for about 1 minute.Tip: Overworking the dough makes the jamuns hard. It should feel like soft, tender, smooth dough, and not stiff.
- 7 Rest the DoughCover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes, so the milk powder absorbs the moisture and the dough becomes smoother.Tip: Resting makes the dough less sticky and easier to shape.
- 8 Shape Smooth BallsGrease your palms with a little ghee. Divide the dough into about 16 equal portions and roll each one between your palms into a smooth, crack-free ball, about 2 cm wide. If a ball cracks, add a drop of milk to the dough and re-roll.Tip: They will double in size when fried and soaked, so keep them small. Any cracks on the surface will open up and split in the oil, so make them as smooth as possible.
- 9 Heat the Oil to 150 CPour oil or ghee into a deep pan to a depth of about 5 cm and heat over low to medium-low heat to about 150 C. To test it, drop in a tiny piece of dough: it should sink, then rise slowly to the surface in 5 to 6 seconds with a few gentle bubbles.Tip: The oil must be only moderately hot. If it is too hot, the jamuns brown outside and stay raw inside. If it is too cool, they absorb oil and turn greasy.
- 10 Slide the Balls into the OilSlide in 5 or 6 balls gently, without crowding. They will sink and then slowly float up. Keep them moving gently with a slotted spoon so they brown evenly.Tip: Do not stir hard or touch them in the first minute, as they are fragile before they set. Fry in batches so the oil temperature stays steady.
- 11 Fry Slowly Until Deep GoldenFry on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning gently, until the jamuns have puffed up to nearly double their size and turned a deep, even golden brown all over.Tip: Fry slowly on low heat so that they cook through to the centre. Cut one open to check that it is not doughy in the middle.
- 12 Drain and Drop into Warm SyrupLift the jamuns out with a slotted spoon, let the excess oil drain for a few seconds, then drop them straight into the warm syrup. Make sure the syrup is warm, not boiling.Tip: Putting hot jamuns into warm syrup helps them absorb the syrup well. Cold syrup does not soak in properly, while boiling syrup makes them shrink.
- 13 Soak for at Least 30 MinutesCover the pan and leave the jamuns to soak for at least 30 minutes, until they are soft, swollen and soaked right through. Serve warm or at room temperature.Tip: Waiting is the hardest part, but the soaking is what makes them soft and juicy. Serve with a spoonful of the syrup, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like.