Gulab Jamun: A Sweet Paradise!

For Father’s Day I decided to make something I never have before as a special treat. So I made the Indian favorite, Gulab Jamun. Gulab Jamun is like an Indian doughnut. This dessert is incredibly sweet and I can only have a bite, but my husband adores it! I personally love Gulab Jamun over vanilla ice cream. I thought it was going to be alot harder to make the dish but it was actually quite simple. One of the easiest Indian desserts I have ever made! I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

for the gulab jamuns:

• 1 cup milk powder
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp oil or ½ tsp ghee ( butter)
• a pinch of salt (optional)
• a pinch of baking soda
• 1 to 2 tbsp milk
• a few blanched pistachio or almond slices for garnishing

for the sugar syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2-3 green cardamoms, husked & crushed or powdered
• a pinch of saffron (optional)
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Instructions

preparing the sugar solution:

1. mix water, sugar, cardamom and saffron.
2. keep this sugar solution and cook till you get a syrup consistency.
3. there should be no thread formation in the sugar solution.
4. stir in the rose water and keep aside.

preparing the jamuns:

1. first mix the milk powder, all purpose flour, soda in a bowl.
2. add oil or ghee and just 1 tbsp of milk.
3. mix and keep on adding little of the milk to get a soft sticky mixture. 
4. the dough should not be crumbly or dry. if it is then add some milk.
5. oil you hands and make smooth small balls from the dough.
6. heat the oil and the reduce the flame to low.
7. add the balls and fry them stirring often to get even color.
8. when they become golden, remove from a slotted spoon and add them to the sugar syrup. 
9. let them soak in the sugar syrup for at least 1 hours, it will increase the size of the Gulab Jamun.
10. gulab jamuns should be served warm. Serve gulab jamun topped with sugar syrup. I love to eat one with vanilla ice cream.