Soft Gulab Jamun (Using Milk Powder)

Make these easy, soft gulab jamun with milk powder and get ready for a dessert heaven. These little delightful, golden brown orbs are melt in the mouth and bursting with green cardamom & rose flavored sugar syrup.

If you ask me, you really don't need an occasion to make or serve gulab jamuns. Enjoy them for indian festivals like Diwali or Holi or Dusherra or any special ocassions. A box of gulab jamun makes for great edible gifting too. These fried dough balls are simply irresistible!

What is Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is one the most popular south asian mithai. It feels impossible to discuss Indian cuisine without mentioning this iconic sweet. There are a few theories about how the name "Gulab Jamun" originated. Interestingly, the dessert bears a resemblance to similar sweets found in Persian and Turkish cuisines.

In Hindi, Gulab means rose, and jamun refers to a type of Indian plum. However, in the context of the dessert "Gulab Jamun," the term jamun describes the round shape of these sweet, syrup-soaked spheres, not their flavor or resemblance to the fruit. These treats are infused with the fragrance and flavor of rose water, echoing the meaning of Gulab.

In India, there are many different ways in which gulag jamuns are made. There are many variations too differing in shape and slightly in ingredients.

A other close relative is Kala Jaam or Kala Jamun. They look similar to gulab jamun except the color is much darker (almost black).

In halwai (indian sweet shops), you will usually get gulab jamun made with khoya or mawa. Khoya or mawa are milk solids that remain after reducing whole milk for long hours until all the liquid has evaporated.

Choosing Milk Powder for Gulab Jamun

When I developed this recipe many moons ago, good quality khoya wasn't available in stores and hence I used milk powder. You will be pleasantly satisfied with how soft gulab jamuns turned out.

Milk powder gulab jamuns are much quick to make, hassle fee and give great tasting results.These are as soft and delicious as the ones made with khoya. You won't be able to tell the difference.

The key to success is selecting milk powder with a high-fat content (I use Nido brand with 28% fat content). Nido milk powder is available in Indian grocery store in US. It is essential for softness and in achieving that spongy, melt in the mouth feel.

You may pick other brands (Laxmi & Deep Mawa powder are my favorite too) for making these. Always make sure that it’s not non-fat milk powder or dairy whitener that’s used for tea or coffee.

Ingredients

For Gulab Jamun Balls

• Milk Powder - Please read the previous section.
• All purpose flour
• Milk - Full-fat milk or Whole milk is the best. Use room temperature milk. 
• Ghee - Measure the ghee after melting for accuracy.
• Green Cardamom Powder - There is nothing more balmy than freshly ground green cardamom powder. Simply crack the cardamom pods open and pound the black seeds using a mortar and pestle. However you can use ready to use cardamom powder too
• Baking Soda

For Sugar Syrup

• Sugar - I use granulated sugar
• Water
• Lemon Juice - A few drop to prevent crystallization of sugar
• Green Cardamon Powder
• Other flavorings (optional) - Kewda water, edible rose petals, rose water or saffron strands

How To Make Gulab Jamun (With Step photos)

Make the Gulab Jamun dough

1. Sift all dry ingredients (milk powder, flour & baking soda) in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted ghee. 
2. Gently, using your fingers, mix the flour mixture until it resembles small crumbs.

3. Start adding little milk at a time and using your fingers, bring together form into a smooth dough. Don't over-knead or squish the dough. It should be non sticky. There is no need to shape the dough. Just make sure it binds together. We don’t want the gluten to form. If over mixed, the jamuns will not absorb syrup and will remain hard inside. 
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth & let rest for 10 minutes .This helps it absorb the moisture and become pliable.
5. Grease ghee on your hands and pinch 18-20 equal portions from the dough. Pro Tip - For similar size, you may weigh the dough portions using a food scale.
6. Roll the dough portions into small balls with no cracks. Line the smooth balls on a plate & keep covered with a damp kitchen cloth to avoid them from drying. 

Prepare the sugar syrup

5. In a large and wide heavy bottom pot, add water and sugar along with cardamom pods and lemon juice. Lemon juice prevents the crystallization of sugar upon cooling.
6. On low-medium heat, bring the syrup to a boil. Once sugar is dissolved, let the syrup simmer for a minute or two and then switch off the stove. We are not looking for any thread consistency here, just boil & stir once or twice till the sugar dissolves completely. It takes about 6-8 minutes on medium heat. If you see scum on top, remove it with a spoon.
7. Sprinkle the green cardamom powder and mix. You can add flavors like saffron strands or rose-water to the syrup. 

Sugar Syrup Tips - Tip #1 - It is important to use a wide enough pot to make sugar syrup so that once you add the fried dough balls, they are in a single layer. The gulab jamun will slightly grow in size as they soak in syrup and we want enough space for that process. Tip #2 - Make sure that your sugar syrup is not thick to begin with, else the jamuns won't be able to absorb it due to its viscosity.

Deep Fry & Soak gulab jamun in Syrup

8. Set oil or ghee for deep frying to heat up in a deep cooking pot. Make sure that the oil quantity is enough so that the gulab jamuns remain fully submerged while deep frying.
9. Once the oil is heated up, to check the oil temperature, add a small piece of dough to the hot oil. It should rise up quickly without sizzling. If you use a candy thermometer, heat the oil (or ghee ) to around 350-365°F.
10. Carefully, add the rolled jamun balls into the hot oil. Do not over crowd. 
11. While frying, maintain a consistent oil temperature and gently turn around the jamuns to ensure even cooking. It should take about 5-7 minutes per batch. You might see some foaming in oil due to baking soda.
12. Once browned,using a slotted spoon remove all the excess oil and place the fried balls on paper towels for 10-15 seconds.
13. While they are still warm, place the fried gulab jamun in the warm sugar syrup.
14. Finish deep frying all gulab jamun and soak in syrup immediately.
15. Once you've added all the gulab jamun to the syrup, place the pot on a low flame for 1-2 minutes. Warming the syrup helps in better soaking. Take care not to let boil, else gulab jamuns will burst. 
16. Cover the pot and let stand undisturbed for at least 30-45 minutes.

Serving Ideas

• Serve warm gulab jamun in bowl with few tablespoons of syrup & chopped nuts or dessicated coconut garnish. I like them slightly warm. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a hot & cold dessert experience.
• Rabdi Gulab Jamun is a wonderful combination. You could make small dessert jars by layering instant rabdi and gulab jamun balls. I would skip the syrup for these else these become cloying. 
• Serve gulab jamun with rasmalai boba drink for a festive dessert duo. 
• Try kesar kulfi and gulab jamun together, its delicious! 

Recipe Tips

• To Make Green Cardamom Powder - Crack open the pods and use your mortar & pestle to grind the seeds into a powder.This is how cardamom is commonly used in Indian homes.
• Traditionally, gulab jamuns are fried in pure ghee. I fry them in oil and add ⅓ cup of ghee to the oil to add the rich aroma. 
• Make sure that the milk powder isn't smelly, freshness matters since its one of the main ingredient. 
• Correct temperature of oil is key in the recipe. Do not fry the gulab jamuns on very high heat.If oil is too hot, and they will brown quickly on the outside & harden but remain raw inside. In cold oil, they may absorb excess oil. Do not fry on low heat either, they will start spreading in oil. 
• Gulab Jamun  keep well in the fridge for up to 18-20 days.Whenver you want to serve, just microwave for 8-10 seconds. They can be frozen for 3-5 months.

Common Problems & Trouble Shooting

Hard Gulab Jamun

1. Possible reasons could be too much flour in the dough, overkneading or frying in very hot oil.
2. Mix the dough lightly using fingers and bring it together. Dont knead the dough.That leads to gluten formation which makes the jamuns hard.
3. If you like making gulab jamun at home often, I highly suggest investing in a candy thermometer to maintain a consistent temperature of frying.

Too soft and and falling apart

• If the dough becomes too moist or sticky, the gulab jamuns can disintegrate while frying. You could add more milk powder or flour to tame the stickiness of the dough.

Gulab Jamun won't absorb syrup

• Sugar syrup could be thick or too hot. The syrup should be sticky but switch off the stove before any reaching any string consistency stage.
• Make sure that the syrup is warm (not boiling) when you add the gulab jamuns.