Happy Diwali! Tomorrow marks the start of Diwali (दिवाली), the five-day Festival of Lights celebrated across India to honor the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Although we are not Hindu, we embrace the universal message of the festival and enjoy taking part in its traditions. For Diwali this year I made several Indian sweets — Jalebi, Gajar ka Halwa, Shankarpali — and these classic Gulab Jamun (गुलाब जामुन).
Gulab Jamun are among the most recognized Indian desserts worldwide and are commonly offered at restaurants, festivals, weddings and family celebrations. The name comes from gulab, meaning “rose” in Hindi, because the syrup that soaks the fried dough balls is scented with rosewater. They are often served on their own or alongside vanilla ice cream. These are my daughters’ and husband’s favourite treat and rarely last long in our house.
Follow the recipe below to make soft, syrupy Gulab Jamun at home and join in the celebration of light. दिवाली की शुभकामनाएं to everyone celebrating!
Gulab Jamun
Soft fried dough balls soaked in rose-scented syrup — a beloved Indian dessert.
Dessert
Indian
15 minutes
30 minutes
45 minutes
Recipe adapted from Manjula’s Kitchen
Ingredients
Syrup
- 1 ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup water
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 tbsp rosewater not in the picture
Gulab Jamun
- 1 cup skim milk powder
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds and pistachio
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Instructions
Syrup
- In a large pan, combine the water, sugar and cardamom powder and bring to a boil. Let it boil for another minute to fully dissolve the sugar.
- Add the saffron and rosewater, then turn off the heat. Set the syrup aside and keep it hot but not boiling when ready to add the fried jamun.
Gulab Jamun
- In a bowl, mix the milk powder, all-purpose flour and baking soda.
- Add the ghee and mix well until crumbly.
- Gradually add the milk and knead to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. The milk powder will absorb the milk; if the dough is dry, add a little more milk. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Grease your palms with ghee and knead the dough gently again.
- Divide the dough into about ten equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball, avoiding cracks.
- Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Test the temperature with a small piece of dough: it should sizzle and take about a minute to rise. If it rises immediately, the oil is too hot; if it barely sizzles, it is not hot enough.
- Fry the balls in batches, without overcrowding the pan. Fry on medium heat for about seven minutes, turning them gently for even browning.
- Let the fried jamun cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer them into the hot (not boiling) syrup.
- Allow the Gulab Jamun to soak fully submerged in the syrup for at least 20 minutes; they will soften and roughly double in size.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. They are delicious alone or served with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Frying on high heat will brown the exterior too quickly and leave the interior undercooked. Maintain medium heat for even cooking.
Using too much baking soda can make the jamun overly soft and prone to breaking while frying. Use only a small pinch.
Do not add the fried jamun to the syrup immediately; allow them to cool slightly so they retain their shape and absorb the syrup properly.
