Gulab jamun is served at weddings, Diwali, Eid and birthdays across India, and its name blends the Persian 'gul-ab', rose water, with jamun, the dark Indian fruit it resembles. It is generally linked to the Persian luqmat al-qadi brought to medieval India, reworked in Indian kitchens with khoya instead of dough.
A good gulab jamun is soft right through, with no hard core, and soaked with syrup that is sweet but not cloying. The secret lies in a smooth, crack-free dough of khoya with just a little flour, and in frying slowly in ghee so the balls cook through as they brown. They are served warm, sometimes with vanilla ice cream or rabri.
At a glance
| Region | Pan-Indian |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | North Indian |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Dessert |
| Prep time | 25 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 55 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | khoya / maida / sugar / ghee |
Ingredients
For the jamuns
- 200 g soft khoya (hariyali or chikna khoya), grated
- 3 tbsp maida
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
- Ghee or oil for frying
For the syrup
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 green cardamoms, crushed
- A few saffron strands
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Method
- Combine the sugar, water and cardamom in a wide pan and boil for 5-6 minutes until slightly sticky between fingers but not at string stage. Add saffron, lemon juice and rose water and keep warm on the lowest heat.
- Mash the khoya on a plate with the heel of your palm for 3-4 minutes until smooth and free of lumps.
- Add maida, baking soda and cardamom, and gather into a soft dough with gentle kneading, sprinkling milk a few drops at a time. Do not over-knead.
- Divide into 18-20 portions and roll each between greased palms into a smooth ball with no cracks.
- Heat ghee in a kadhai on low heat. Test with a pinch of dough: it should rise slowly with small bubbles. Add the balls in batches without crowding.
- Fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes, gently swirling the oil rather than touching the balls, until they turn evenly deep golden brown.
- Drain and immediately drop them into the warm syrup. Soak for at least 1 hour; they will swell and soften. Serve warm.
Tips
- Cracks on the surface split open in the oil – roll each ball until perfectly smooth.
- Hot oil browns the outside and leaves a raw, hard centre; low and slow is the rule.
- If the jamuns stay hard after soaking, the dough had too much flour or the syrup was too thick.
Serve with
Warm with a little syrup, or with vanilla ice cream or rabri.