Indian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Gulab Jamun

Fried milk-dough balls soaked in rose-cardamom syrup – India's most famous dessert.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 160 g milk powder
• 60 g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40 g soft butter
• 80 ml milk
• 300 g sugar
• 300 ml water
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp rose water
• Oil or ghee for frying
• Pistachios for garnish

Instructions

1. For the syrup, simmer the sugar, water and crushed cardamom pods for 8 min, add the rose water and keep warm.
2. Mix the milk powder, flour and baking powder, rub in the butter and knead with the milk into a very soft, smooth dough – don't knead for long.
3. With greased hands, roll small, completely crack-free balls (walnut-sized) – cracks will burst open while frying.
4. Heat the oil to only 150 °C and fry the balls slowly, moving them constantly, for 6–8 min until deep golden brown – oil that's too hot leaves them raw inside.
5. Drop the hot balls straight into the warm syrup.
6. Let steep for at least 2 hrs until they've soaked it all up, and serve lukewarm with pistachios.