Gulab jamun | Recipe | Preparation

GULAB JAMUN

Recipe for gulab jamun

Khoa                 300 g
Maida                35 g
Baking powder 3 g
Sugar                1 kg
Water               1 kg
Ghee                500 g

Preparation / Method of Manufacture

Freshly made khoa is broken into bits. Baking powder is mixed into maida separately. This mixture is added to the broken khoa and mixed again. Then it is kneaded by adding small quantities of water until uniform dough is obtained. Care has to be exercised while kneading not to allow oozing of fat. To avoid this, especially in summer, the vessel is kept in which the kneading is done upon a tray containing ice or chilled water. The consistency of the dough should be such that when made in to small balls, it has a smooth, uncracked surface.

All the sugar is dissolved in water. The solution is boiled till syrup of two-string consistency is obtained. During this process, 4 tablespoonfuls of milk are added and the scum that forms is ladled out to obtain clear syrup. This is kept in a container of sufficient depth so that a minimum depth of 10 cm is obtained.

Now the balls are test fried in sufficient ghee or vanaspathi in a shallow karahi so as to immerse the balls completely during frying. Extra care

has to be taken during frying not to over fry or under fry them. The colour of the balls should be deep brown. One ball may be cut into two and examined for its porosity. If found satisfactory, the remaining balls may be fried. If the porosity is insufficient, small quantity of baking powder dissolved in least quantum of water may be added to the dough and the ball making process is repeated and test frying done. If the balls are too porous, then small quantity of maida is added instead and the testing process repeated.

After frying, the balls are removed from the frying pan and immersed in the sugar syrup immediately. Some pressure may be applied on the balls to facilitate their immersion. The gulab jamun is kept at room temperature for at least 12 hours before serving.

Try to prepare the gulab jamun as per the recipe and let us know how it tasted!