I really can’t think of a better day to share this delicious Gulab Jamun recipe using Khoya (or Mawa) than to start off a brand new year 2012. One of the most common question I get when discussing Indian Sweets is “what’s that soft brown ball that’s very sweet and soaked in sugar syrup?”. Probably because gulab jamun is served at practically all Indian buffets, it’s not hard to guess which sweet they are talking about! For all the cooking that I do, I had never tried to make gulab jamun at home, not even with the readymade boxed mix. Amma has mentioned how her mom, my aatha, makes gulab jamun with fresh, homemade khoya (mawa) and since then, I’ve wanted to try it the same way. I realised that if I waited to make my own khoya, the gulab jamuns will never happen so I used store-bought khoya. It’s usually kept frozen so make sure to bring to room temperature before using. Oh and by the way, khoya smells amazing. Go ahead and sniff it while it defrosts.

Key things to remember for success while making Gulab Jamun at home.

Khoya needs to be completely soft and at room temperatureUse a light hand when kneading the doughDon’t make the dough balls super smooth before frying, this can cause them to break or crack. Just roll them 90% smooth with some rough spots on the surfaceMake sure the oil is hot but not smoking hot. Ensure you fry long enough so that the inside cooks too. Keep regulating oil temperatureThe sugar syrup consistency is important but not critical, in my opinion. It shouldn’t be too thick, otherwise it won’t enter the gulab jamun and make them soft

Ok, maybe I made all of that sound intimidating but it really isn’t. Go ahead, give them a shot. This recipe also features in the list of quick and easy Diwali Sweets recipes

Gulab Jamun Step by Step Recipe

  1. Mix the grated khoya with the flour and salt. If using store-bought khoya, this mixture will be quite dry. If using fresh, homemade khoya, it will be moist so you need less water for the next step.
  2. Add sufficient water (I used around 1/2 cup) and form a stiff dough. It shouldn’t be sticky. If it is, add a bit more flour and incorporate without kneading too much.
  3. Roll into small marble-sized balls. Remember to start small because the dough balls will expand on frying and further on soaking in the sugar syrup. You don’t have to make the balls super smooth, just into small circles of even sizes.
  4. Heat oil to just short of smoking point and add the dough balls one by one gently. Don’t overcrowd the dough balls, fry a few at a time. This also ensures that the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much while frying. Consistent oil temperature is important for even frying of gulab jamun
  5. Fry all the jamun until golden brown on medium heat, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Don’t be alarmed if some of them crack or seem to split on the sides just a bit. If they split into two or disintegrate, time to rework the dough (see notes)
  6. To make the sugar syrup, mix the water and sugar and set on a medium-low flame. Stir until the sugar has disssolved completely and the mixture comes to a slow boil. Add the crushed cardamom pods, saffron and rose water if using.
  7. Let the sugar syrup cool for about 5 mins only and then dunk in the fried jamun.
  8. Partially close the pan and let the jamun soak in the sugar syrup for at least 3-4 hours before serving. Some of the sugar syrup gets absorbed by the gulab jamun but most of it remains as is so if you have any suggestions on how to use up leftover sugar syrup, please let me know. For now, I can only think of using it up for sweet godumai adai, substituting jaggery with the sugar syrup, which is what Amma does.