AkkaVeedu: Gulab Jamun - easy as Apple Pie!

I’ve forwarded several easy recipes to most of you over the years. Here is the first of them – thought I’d begin on a sweet note – Gulab Jamun. This has been one all-time favorite, no matter which part of India we hail from. It seems everyone wants to know the easiest route to Gulab Jamuns and Biryani.

We’ve all eaten variations of the recipe as well – the stock light-brown melt-in-the-mouth version from the neighborhood sweet shop in India, the long dark danedar-khoa version from Basha’s in Triplicane (Madras), the 1 inch-long dense milky type packed in Amul tins, and the firm brown grainy variety from Haldirams and Ghasitarams. My husband would love it if I could conjure up Basha’s Gulab Jamuns and Dum-ka-Roat upon request. Having been a lifelong devotee of Basha’s myself, I also regret that I can’t.

This Gulab Jamun recipe, however, doesn’t require too much effort, and somehow produces a jamun that contains notes of all the above varieties. We are quite happy with it. I usually make these Jamuns every 6 months or so, as a sort of emotional therapy-food hug. For instance, 2 weeks ago, I was forced to run away to Arizona for my MBA’s capstone course, and so I made some 70 Gulab Jamuns to keep my boys company, among other things.

No more ado. Here’s how you prep:

First, make the sheera (sugar syrup in this case, not the Kerala sweetmeat). In a thick bottomed vessel (or copper-bottomed steel vessel, as I did), bring to a boil – 500 grams sugar and 500 ml water – stirring occasionally. Add ¼ teaspoon powdered elaichi (cardamom), and simmer, stirring till the syrup reaches a one-string consistency. Strain and set aside to cool.

Guilty as charged. I didn't grind the elaichis :P

If you like, add one drop rose essence (this is available in the baking aisles of most grocery stores in the U.S.A. If not, check out an Indian grocery). I usually skip the rose flavor and like my Jamuns plain. It’s really up to you…

Then, get a hold of –

1. 2 cups khoa (or mawa, I think they call it. Anyways, you know what I mean – milk that has been boiled and reduced to a solid).

2. 2 cups maida (or ‘Markin ka aatta’ as my grandmother called it. ‘American aatta’ or refined flour). Just use all-purpose flour. That’ll do.

3. A few tablespoons milk to bind it all together.

4. 2 tablespoons sheera or sugar syrup (to sweeten the dough slightly).

Now, to make the Jamun dough. Finely grate the khoa into a large bowl. Add the flour, the sheera, and the milk, and knead lightly till you end up with a soft dough. Note: the dough should NOT be glutinous (elastic, like a rubber band), or crumbly (like streusel). Rather, it should be soft and malleable, and should hold when rolled into a small sphere, like shortbread dough.

Some folks add a pinch of baking soda to the flour before kneading, but I’m not really particular. The soda is supposed to help the Jamuns fluff up a bit. Again, I’ve found this works only under certain conditions – such as the temperature in one’s kitchen, humidity, the amount of oil used to fry the Jamuns, how long the Jamuns have been sitting around, etc. Again, it’s up to you.

So, let the dough rest while you go about doing your other chores – for, let’s say, an hour. Then, come back and, greasing your palms with ghee, roll the Jamuns into nickel-sized balls.

The ghee helps seal cracks..

Here they all sit, waiting for their moment of truth.

DO NOT freeze the uncooked Jamuns, or store them in the fridge. If you have no choice but to do so, thaw them COMPLETELY, till they reach room temperature (65 F). Frying the Jamuns cold will give them frills and cracks.

This recipe should yield between 40-50 Jamuns J.

To put it all together:

Pour ghee into a medium-sized (10 inch diameter) non-stick pan till it is 1 inch deep. Heat on a medium-low flame till the ghee is hot enough to fry the Jamuns. If you’d like to check, drop a pinch of the Jamun dough and watch if it rises to the surface, bubbling and golden brown. The ghee should be deep enough for the Jamuns to float. This ensures even cooking and browning, and a smooth contour. If not, your Jamuns might end up with chins and noses, as mine did (see pics!).

When the ghee is ready, you can drop in 10 Jamuns at a time. Move them around till they are brown and done – and drop them into the waiting sheera. Watch that you don’t dip your spoon into the sheera or you’ll end up with oil splatters.