I’m away, trekking in Nepal at the moment. Hopefully I’ll find some where to try Gulab Jamun.
“Oh thank god, no cooking tonight. Take away. Mmmm, Indian. Ooo I should cook dessert!”
My inner monologue on the way home from work. We had guests coming, and Indian take away was already planned. But I can never pass up the opportunity to cook a dessert. My tried and true, old faithful dessert chocolate pudding, wasn’t going to cut it. I wanted to get my Indian cook on!
Creamy butter chicken, dahl makhani, and soft and tender lamb rogan josh, with rice, roti and naan was for main. Straight out of the take away containers strewn across the table. The was scatterings of rice, flakes of bread and drips of curry sauces all over our dining table. The food was devoured quickly, remnants of sauce was all the remained.
I served up dessert in my grandmother’s desserts bowls (a gift to her on her wedding day), and spooned it out hesitantly. The sweet, milky balls had been soaking in the sugar syrup for over an hour, the flavours had permeated through the hard fried outer.
It was the perfect way to cap of the rich Indian meal.
What can you never pass up the opportunity to do?
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- Sugar Syrup
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp rose water
- Gulab Jamun
- 1 cup full cream milk powder
- 1/2 cup self raising flour
- 1/4 tsp bi-carb soda
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 25gm butter
- 1/3 cup water
- vegetable oil for deep frying
- Combine water, sugar, cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Stir in rosewater. Cool slightly.
- Combine the milk powder, flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground cardamom in a bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Add enough of the water to make a soft sticky dough (add more water if necessary). Shape heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls.
- Heat oil in a large wok (to test temperature I put a wooden spoon handle in the oil, if it has little bubbles all around it, then it’s ready). Reduce heat to low. Cook the balls, turning occasionally, for 2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towel.
- Put all balls into a deep dish and cover with sugar syrup. All to sit for at least 30 mins.
OMG love gulab jamun!! so so sweeet.. can only have a few bites!
You cook everything – i’m moving in when you are back! haha
I can’t wait Meagan!
I’ve never heard of these before but boy do they look yummy! Enjoy your travels Clare 🙂
Lisa, they’re fantastic! Taste them next time you get Indian!
I’ve never heard of this but it sounds wonderful. You really can’t beat good Indian take away can you?
Nope Indian takeaway is the best! Claire you need to get on to tasting some of these! You’ve been missing out!
I’ve never made an Indian dessert. I love your grandmother’s bowls. How fantastic that they are still around today. Sometimes casual dinner parties with takeaway food can be the best of times xx
It was a lovely evening, perfectly topped off by these delicious Indian morsels!
Whenever I have Indian food, I am too full for dessert. This looks awesome and I’ll have to leave room next time! Hope you are having an amazing time 🙂
You definitely need to leave room next time!
Looks absolutely delicious Clare! Hope you’re have a fantastic time in Nepal. You lucky duck!!
Thanks Jane! These are delicious but no where near as good as the ones we bought in Nepal!
I can’t actually eat these, way too rich for me. In Fiji, our gulab jamun is actually dry, without the syrup, and I do love those. You’ll have to come visit me in Fiji at some point and I’ll get my mum to make them for you. Or you guys can make them together! xoxox
I love gulab jamun Vanisha! I’d love to visit you in Fiji and taste your mum’s!
I’m not really a milk fan and tbh discreetly disposed of one of these in my serviette when we were offered them on our trek…. But everyone else loved them and they seem like a fiddle to make! Well done xx
They’re not too fiddily to make. Actually quite easy and such a delicious result!