Recipe- Make Rakhi More Special With Easy To Make Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamuns along with kheer are traditional and one of the most popular sweet dishes in India. They are soft and spongy milk based balls with melt in the mouth texture. These gulab jamuns are drenched in flavored sugar syrup, and are enjoyed hot or cold. They are sometimes served with rabadi and in summers hot gulab jamuns can be served with ice-creams.

Ingredients

For Gulab Jamun

1 cup powder milk/milk solids
1 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida)
1 pinch baking powder
1 tablespoon ghee (rarefied butter)
5 tablespoons milk
8 cashew nuts finely chopped
8 pistachios skinned and finely chopped
oil for frying

For Sugar Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
5-6 pieces green cardamom
1 small lemon wedge

Method

* In a mixing bowl, add milk powder, all purpose flour, and baking powder. Mix them well. Now add ghee. Mix it so that ghee is distributed evenly in the mixture.

* Now add two tablespoons milk to this mixture, and mix well. Gradually add milk, a tablespoon at a time, till a smooth dough is formed. Dough should not be very tight.

* To prepare filling, mix half of the chopped pistachios to cashew nut pieces. Also add crushed green cardamom seeds from one cardamom. Then add 2 teaspoon dough and a teaspoon milk to make compact filling for gulab jamuns. You can skip this step if you do not want to add filling to the gulab jamuns.

* Apply ghee on your palms. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. Take one portion, and flatten it on your palm. Place a small amount of filling at the centre, and close the edges. Make a smooth ball. There should be no cracks on the ball. Similarly make all the balls.

* Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Keep the flame low. When the oil is slightly hot, add one gulab jamun at a time. Do not fry more than four balls at a time. Gently swish oil over the balls initially. When they are slightly brown from one side turn them and fry from all the sides. Fry all the balls in this fashion.

* To prepare sugar syrup, place sugar in a pan. Add water, broken cardamom pods, and lemon wedge. Cook it on low to medium flame. Stir occasionally. When the sugar dissolves, check if the syrup has thickened a bit and become sticky. We do not want one thread consistency. We just want slightly thick and sticky syrup. When done, add gulab jamuns to the syrup and switch off the gas.

* Cover it and let the jamuns rest for at least 5 hours so that they absorb the syrup and become juicy. When ready, decorate with chopped pistachios and serve hot.