Gulab(less) Jamun

Every Diwali, Paati would make khova from 4 litres of milk and divide it into three equal parts – 2 parts for jamun and 1 part for ice cream cake. I don’t remember a Diwali without Jamuns or Ice cream cake at Paati’s place.

The ice cream cake that she would make was of course spectacular, and the jamuns were so gorgeous and delicious – perfectly round sweet clouds that dissolved in your mouth - absolute bliss!

 

Makes: around 25 jamuns

Ingredients

• Khova – 11/2 cups/ 1 recipe
• Maida – 1 cup
• Sugar – 3 cups (if you want excess syrup i.e floating jamuns increase by a cup)
• Water – 1 cup (increase if you’re increasing sugar)
• Cooking Soda – 3 pinches
• Cardamom – 4 pods
• Saffron leaves – a few
• Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)

Method

1. Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves and remove from fire.
2. Knead khova, maida and soda and quickly shape into balls.
3. Heat oil on a meidum flame. Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. Oil should not smoke.
4. Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.

Serve the jamuns after half an hour.

Tips:

• You will achieve correct consistency for jamun syrup when 3 cups of sugar dissolves 1 cup water over low heat.
• Only when the syrup is ready, mix the jamun dough. Since the dough has soda, if its kept aside the jamuns will disperse while frying and will not hold well.
• Right temperature of oil of utmost importance to get soft jamuns.
• Never refridgerate jamuns. Jamuns when refrigerated will shrink and become hard. Jamuns will stay fresh for 4 days when stored in air tight containers.
• If you like you can add two drops of rose essence to the syrup to make it Gulab jamun

Gulab(less) Jamun - for the Recipe Marathon

Fellow recipe marathoners:

DK, Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii
Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Viji, , Kamalika,Pavani, Roochi, Karuna