GULAB JAMUN (with Khoya), how to make gulab jamun

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Gulab Jamun.......is an ever popular dessert, and this traditional sweet is now not being made with any instant mixes available in the market, but is being made with home made khoya, and the recipe of this rich sweet, with the intense flavor of the saffron strands and cardamom, is being shared with you.
And, this is certainly a different kind of Gulab Jamun.
 Like the  treasure in a chest, like the  main idol in the sanctum sanctorium, like the full moon on a flawless sky............... there is a golden raisin, embedded inside the Jamun, making it still softer and fluffier. When you cut open the gulab jamuns.....ah!!! there it is, waiting for you!!!
"Jamun" means a 'berry' and "gulab" is a 'rose'. Many add rose essence to the syrup, but I wanted the natural cardamom to reign supreme!
 A relative of mine  used to make these lovely Jamuns this way, and she was an expert in making this. I got the idea from her recipe.

Ingredients

Home made khoya - 1 cup(khoya made from 6-7 cups of milk)

All purpose flour/maida - 2 1/2 tbsps

Baking powder - 1/8 tsp

Sugar - 1 1/4 cups

Water - 1 1/2 cups

Saffron - few strands

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Raisins - 20

Refined oil to fry the Jamuns

Recipe Cuisine: Indian; Category: Dessert

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 25 mts

Yields 20 Gulab Jamuns

I made khoya the previous day and refrigerated. Brought  it to room temperature. How to make Khoya? Refer here

Picture below shows milk set to boil condensing, and the final stage of khoya collecting.

 The refrigerated Khoya being brought to room temperature

All purpose flour and baking powder added

Gently knead it to a soft dough. It will be sticky only. Don't worry about it.

Keep the raisins ready.

Pinch out some dough, gently make a small peda like thing with a small dent in the center, and keep a raisin in that......The idea is, when there is a raisin inside, hot oil will be drawn towards  the center of the Jamun and it will cooked well inside too.

 .                                                      close the ball, and keep aside.

Similarly, make other balls also.

Picture below shows:

1. Sugar, water , saffron and cardamom powder

2. All mixed well and set to boil

3. Boiling well

4. Reached the stage. You don't need any string consistency for this. The syrup has to be slightly thick, that's all. If it gets too thick also, the Jamuns will not take in the syrup.

Heat the oil, keep it in low fire after it gets heated. Then slowly drop 2 Jamuns, see whether they stay in shape or disintegrate. Handle them gently.

Allow to get cooked uniformly, gently turn to all sides, then drain and keep aside.

Immediately after 2 seconds, drop them into the hot sugar syrup.

Finish frying all the Jamuns the same way, and drop them into the sugar syrup.

 Jamuns have to remain soaked, minimum for a couple of hours, without disturbing them. Serve them hot, you can also serve it with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. Some like then hot....some like them cold......

There is raisin inside..can you see? It is golden raisin and also inside the Jamun it is golden in colour, so both look same! golden hue all around......

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

*Store bought unsweetened Khoya can be used, if you are sure of its purity.

*In some places, I have seen Jamuns, beautifully golden in colour, but when you cut them open, the center portion will be hard. So, you must keep on rotating them, and see to it that they get cooked uniformly.

Categories: Desserts, Festival Delicacies, Indian sweets, Janmashtami neivedhyams, Navarathri Neivedhyams