Gulab jamun is an Indian doughnut that’s soaked in spiced syrup and then dusted in coconut – I have probably made a thousand of these in my life and I still can’t get enough of these delicious morsels.
I love that my Gran served this Indian sweet meat to her guests at Diwali, she passed that down to my mom and now I get to share these traditions with my own family.
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
4 tablespoons semolina
½ teaspoon ground green cardamom (elachi)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
2 ¼ cups Woolworths cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons Woolworths ghee
1 tin condensed milk
Canola oil for deep frying
Syrup
2 ½ cups sugar
2 cups water
3 green cardamom pods, crushed
Method
Place desiccated coconut in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl, and add the melted ghee and tin of condensed milk. Mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Roll a tablespoon of dough into a smooth ball, then roll it into a log around 7cm long.
Syrup
Add water and sugar to a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add the green cardamom pods and allow to gently simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat off and allow it to cool – if the syrup has thickened add a 1/4 cup of water to thin it out.
Frying
Heat canola oil in a large pan on medium-high heat, the perfect frying temperature is 180C. Fry the gulab jamuns (careful not to overcrowd the pan) until golden brown on either side, remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on paper bowls for a minute before placing each batch in the warm syrup for no longer than 10 seconds. Remove from the syrup and place into the bowl with the desiccated coconut.
Place gulab jamuns on a tray and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Best kept refrigerated, allow to come to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
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