Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

1 cup Dry Milk Powder (do not use any low fat options)

1/2 cup all purpose flour (Maida or Plain Flour)

1/2 tsp baking soda ( Only if you are using plain flour or Maida )

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup water

2 tsp butter or thickened Cream

Oil/Ghee for Deep Frying

For the Sugar Syrup

1 cup Sugar

1 cup water
2 green Cardamom

Direction:
Sugar Syrup (Sheedan)

• It should be made in advance and kept aside. To process it take 1 cup of water in a seal and add Sugar in it.
• Add 2 to 3 green cardamoms slightly crushed and a few strands of "Kesar" in it.
• Mix well and bring it to boil for 10 to 15 minutes until whole sugar is dissolved into the water.
• Keep it covered with a lid, just leave a bit of a room for steam to escape.
• Avoid overheating. It can cause sugar to caramelize.
• Once the syrup has thickened a bit then keep it aside.

For Gulab Jamun

• Take a bowl; add the milk powder, plain flour and the baking soda.Add enough milk to make it medium-hard dough.
• Add the cream/butter and knead the mixture into dough.
• Adjust the quantity of cream which you add to keep tight dough.
• Make small balls of the dough of the size of a cherry by gently rolling each portion between your palms. Apply some oil on your hands to make it smooth and shiny. (Keep in mind that it will enlarge on frying and also in the syrup).
• Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a moist kitchen towel.
• Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium or low for deep frying.
• Slide the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. Soothingly shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. It should rise gradually to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly trembled to ensure constant browning on all sides.
• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the balls will tend to break. Hence adjust the temperature to ensure that the balls do not break.
• The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperature to ensure entire cooking from inside and even browning.
• Once the balls have turned dark brown then transfer them in the sugar syrup.
• The Gulab Jamuns are ready. If the syrup has not peneterated into the centre of Gulab Jamuns then keep them dipped into the syrup.
• Gulab Jamuns can be stored in the fridge dipped into the syrup itself.