Festive treats: Gulab Jamun homemade recipe

This festive season, enjoy your favourite sweet treat made at home. What is even better, this Gulab Jamun recipe only costs Rs. 399.

By Divya Samant

Gulab Jamun is a traditional South Asian dessert dish and a classic, delicious staple in Indian kitchens. Many of us college students miss out on these conventional and fun dishes. Also, with stressful classes and college schedules, it isn’t easy to get ingredients in grocery stores.

I have tweaked and tinkered this gulab jamun recipe for a few months in college. You can find all the ingredients easily in any grocery store. An added advantage to make it at home – the reduced cost (under Rs. 399)!

Ingredients

Sugar Syrup

2 cups of sugar 

2 cups of water 

One teaspoon rose water 

(optional) cardamom and saffron 

Dough

One cup of powdered milk 

¼ cup of all-purpose flour 

A pinch baking soda 

One teaspoon ghee or canola oil 

One teaspoon unflavored yoghurt 

2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Begin with the sugar syrup. Combine the sugar, water and rose water in a pot on low heat. Add some cardamom and saffron for more depth. 

2. Bring the syrup mixture to a rolling boil, and immediately turn off the heat, and allow the mixture to simmer down. The syrup mixture should not caramelize (reach a viscous consistency). The syrup should be quite runny. 

3. Set the pot of syrup aside to cool. Now it is time to start the dough. 

4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the powdered milk, all-purpose flour and baking soda. Mix well. 

5. Add the canola oil to the mixing bowl and incorporate it through the mixture. 

6. Create a small well in the middle of your dough mix. Add the yoghurt and milk. Fold the yoghurt and milk into the dough until fully incorporated. 

7. Grease your hands with a bit of oil and knead the dough a bit to form a ball of dough. Continue to roll small balls of dough to the size of your preference. (For the frying times below, dough balls that are a half an inch in diameter) 

8. Bring oil to high heat in your frying vessel or air fryer. Deep fry for about 3 minutes, til a deep brown all over. If using an air fryer, heat to 220° celsius and fry for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, transfer them on a paper napkin. A napkin will remove the excess oil.

9. Transfer the cooked dough balls to your syrup mixture. Enjoy warm and fresh for best taste!

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