Gulab Jamun | Soft Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder

Gulab jamun recipe with milk powder - a complete step by step photos and video to make the best gulab jamun ever.

Gulab Jamun is a classic Indian dessert . Traditionally Gulab jamun is made with dry milk solids / mawa /khoya. But this post shares an easy , handy method with milk powder as Khoya may not be available all time . If you are looking for a homemade khoya recipe , you can find the best ever Khoya / mawa recipe here.

Gulab Jamun get its name for the flavour and colour. Gulab indiactes rose and has the sugar syrup is flavoured with rose water or essence , it gets its name gulab . And Jamun is dark purple coloured berries from India , as deep fried milk solids turns out dark brown in colour, its called Jamun. This is the history behind the name Gulab Jamun.

To make these delicious gulab jamun , I read the detailes and tips from here and followed this recipe.

Pro tips to make the Best Gulab Jamun ever !

• Preparing Instant Jamun Mix : Along with Milk powder , Maida / all purpose flour (APF) and Fine Sooji / Rava are added for binding purpose. For every 1 Cup Milk powder , 5 tablespoon of binding agents needs to be added . Hence 4 tablespoon of APF and 1 tablespoon of Semolina/rava are added. You can also skip rava and use 5 tablespoon of Maida also. But adding binding agents are important.
• Baking Soda : Its necessary to add Baking soda as it helps to rise the jamun while frying. A big pinch of soda about ⅛ teaspoon is recommended. If you add more soda , it may break the jamoons while frying . Hence soda amount should be between ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon only and not more than that.
• For Dough : Curds or lemon need to be used along with milk to prepare dough as acidity helps to invokes baking soda.
• Making Dough : Gently bring the flour together and add curds and milk solution part by part to form dough , never knead the dough. Kneading makes to form gluten , which is not recommened here.
• Make Smooth dough , grease hands with ghee and make smooth crack free balls, cover with a cloth and keep it aside till frying. This is done to avoid drying of the dough balls.
• Frying : Gulab Jamun must be fried on medium hot oil on medium to low flame . If oil is hot , it immediately browns without cooking inside. If oil is not enough hot , then a crusty layer forms on Gulab jamun after frying making the outer cover hard.
• Sugar Syrup : Sugar syrup should be of perfectect cosistency , not too watery nor too thick.
• Fried Gulab jamun's are added to hot sugar syrup. Keep on simmer and bring it to boil for 1-2 minutes. This helps to absorb the sugar syrup and results in soft jamun. But don't boil for more than 2 minutes as it may tend to absorb more syrup and losses shape.

As many festivals are around the corner if you are looking for any Indian Sweet recipes then do check few of these fool proof recipes:

• Rasgulla
• Rasmalai
• Gujiya | Karanji
• Obbattu |Puran Poli | Bele Hollige
• Kashi Halwa | Dumroot
• Pumpkin Halwa | Kaddu Halwa
• Dates Kheer
• Dates and Fig Rolls
• Sabudana Kheer
• Rava Ladoo
• Besan Ladoo

RECIPE CARD FOR GULAB JAMUN WITH MILK POWDER

Step by Step directions to make Gulab Jamun

In a pot, add 1.5 cups of water and 1.25 to 1.5 cups of sugar.

Open cardamom pods and add directly into sugar solution along with husk. Add 3-4 saffron strands, this is optional.

Bring it to boil, when sugar dissolves completely, Regulate the flame to medium-low and add rose water or rose essence.

Keep checking the syrup, when it starts to turn sticky just before 1- string formation, turn off the stove and keep sugar syrup aside.

In a wide plate, add milk powder , all purpose flour , fine sooji , big pinch of baking soda , mix well everything.

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee/ clarified butter to this jamun mix and gently mix everything.

Whilst , On a medium flame , keep oil / ghee in a frying pan to heat.

In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of curds with 4 tablespoon of milk, whisk well and keep aside.

Now add this curds and milk solution part by part to jamun mix

and gather everything together to make a smooth dough.

If the dough looks dry, you can add extra tablespoon of milk just to get a smooth dough.

Now grease palms with ghee, pinch small dough and shape into smooth round balls.

Cover the dough balls with a cotton napkin and set aside.

Depending on the size of your frying pan , drop 5-6 dough balls into hot oil. The oil should be medium hot.

When it starts to change colour and tiny golden spots appears, regulate the heat to medium -low flame and rotate the balls gently.

Keep rotating balls, fry until all are uniformly cooked and changes colour to dark brown.

Drain excess oil and remove fried balls from oil. Repeat the same procedure for frying remaining dough balls, fry in batched depending on your frying size of pan.

Add fried balls into hot sugar syrup. Keep on simmer and bring to boil for 1 to 2 minutes.

Turn off the stove. Cover lid

and keep it aside for 2 hours for gulab jamun to soak sugar syrup completely.

After 2 hours , gulab jamun are ready to serve.