Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is one of the most delectable Indian sweets made of khoya/mava.  Khoya is similar to ricotta cheese and is also used in making desserts like kheer.  Today's Gulab Jamun recipe is using milk powder, which is quite easy.

Ingredients:
Milk Powder - 1 1/4 cups
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp
Milk - about 1/2 cup
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Oil or Ghee/Clarified Butter

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp
Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 3 pods
Saffron/Kesar - few strands
Sliced Pistachios or Almonds - about 1 tsp

How to prepare Gulab Jamun:
1. In a mixing bowl, add milk powder, all purpose flour, ghee and baking soda.  Mix well.  Add 1/4 cup milk and leave it aside for 5 minutes so that milk powder absorbs the milk.  Now add the remaining 1/4 cup milk, as required in small amounts while mixing.  I used 1 Quart or 90.7 gms (approximately 1 1/4 cups) Instant Non Fat Dry Milk powder.

2. Make small round balls (about 20) of the soft dough.  Apply milk to your hands to smoothen the balls while rolling between your palms.  Deep fry them in low to medium hot oil (or ghee) till the balls turn nice golden brown.  Frying will take about 5 - 7 minutes, depending on the size of the balls.  Let the fried balls or Jamuns cool slightly.
3. Crush cardamom seeds and saffron in a mortar pestle to a fine powder.
4. Preparing the sugar syrup: Heat water and sugar in a thick bottom pan.  When it starts boiling add lemon juice, cardamom and/or saffron.  Lemon juice is added so that sugar does not recrystallize after cooling.  Generally, Gulab Jal or Rose Water is also added to flavour the sugar syrup.  Add about 1/2 tsp rose water if you like.  Turn off the heat when sugar syrup turns sticky.
5. Add fried jamuns in hot sugar syrup and keep it covered for about an hour. Garnish with sliced pistachios.  Serve Gulab Jamun warm or chilled with Vanilla ice cream.