Gulab Jamun

Ingredients

• 1 cup full-cream milk powder
• ⅓ cup plain flour (maida)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp ghee, soft, or unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp warm full-cream milk, plus more if needed
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp rose water or kewra water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch saffron strands (optional)
• 500 ml oil or ghee, for deep frying
• 1 tbsp pistachios, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the syrup first. Put the sugar, water and crushed cardamom in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly sticky but still thin, like light cream. It should not form a thread.
2. Stir in the lemon juice, saffron and rose water. Turn off the heat and keep the syrup warm on the stove.
3. In a bowl, mix the milk powder, flour and baking powder. Rub in the soft ghee with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
4. Add the warm milk a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly, until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. Do not knead. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Grease your palms and divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each between your palms into a smooth, crack-free ball. They will swell, so keep them small, about 3 cm across.
6. Heat the oil over low heat to about 130–140°C. A tiny piece of dough should sink, then rise slowly with small bubbles. Add 5 or 6 balls, without crowding.
7. Fry on the lowest heat, gently swirling the oil around the balls so they turn on their own. Cook for 10–12 minutes until deep golden brown all over and puffed.
8. Lift the jamuns out with a slotted spoon, drain for a few seconds and drop them into the warm syrup. Fry the remaining batches the same way.
9. Make sure the syrup is warm, not boiling hot. Let the jamuns soak for at least 1 hour until they swell and feel soft and spongy. Garnish with pistachios and serve.

Tips

• Keep the oil temperature low. If it is too hot, the jamuns brown outside and stay raw in the centre.
• Roll the dough until completely smooth. Cracks on the surface can make the balls break apart in the oil.
• Do not knead the dough hard, or the jamuns will turn dense and chewy.
• Soak fried jamuns in warm syrup. Cold syrup will not absorb well, and boiling syrup can make them collapse.