Servings
Font
Back
Gulab Jamun
4.9 from 66 votes

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is an Indian dessert featuring soft, round dough balls made from khoya or milk powder, flavored with cardamom, then fried until golden and soaked in fragrant rose-scented sugar syrup. The dough includes ghee and flour for tenderness and binding, resulting in syrup-soaked sweets with a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Garnished with sliced nuts, they offer a sweet, aromatic finish.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Soaking time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 19 Gulab Jamun
Calories: 103 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For Gulab Jamun with Khoya
  • 1 cup khoya finely grated or crumbled, about 3oz or 85 grams, or the same amount of Milk Powder
  • 3 tablespoon milk Warm, add a little at a time, and use more if needed, whole
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 oz or 30 grams, maida
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder aka Elaichi
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
For Sugar syrup
  • 1 cups granulated sugar white refined
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 2 pods green cardamom crushed or 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder, aka Elaichi
  • 1 pinch saffron aka Kesar
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
For Frying
  • ghee for frying, I prefer ghee, or oil
For Garnish
  • 1 tablespoon almonds sliced, to garnish, or pistachios

Instructions

Making the dough with Khoya
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, grate or crumble the khoya. Add all-purpose flour (maida), baking powder, and cardamom powder to it. Mix it well.
  2. Now add ghee and mix again. Add milk a little at a time until the dough starts to form. You don't want the dough to be sticky. We want enough milk for it to come together. Don't over-mix the dough. You want it to be smooth and soft.
  3. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder Variation: I highly recommend measuring the ingredients by weight for this method. Add 1 cup (85 grams) of milk powder, 1/4 cup (30 grams) of all-purpose flour, baking powder, cardamom powder, and ghee. Mix well to make a crumbly mixture. Now, add milk a little at a time until the dough starts to form. I added 6 tablespoons of milk. We want enough milk for it to come together. You want the dough to be a little sticky at this time. Don't over-mix the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After the dough is rested, it will become smooth and soft.
Making sugar syrup for Gulab Jamun
  1. While the dough is resting, in a bowl, add sugar, water, cardamom pods, and saffron.
  2. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not overcook the syrup. The sugar syrup thickens as it cools, so it shouldn’t look too thick.
  3. Add lemon juice and rose water and stir well. By adding lemon juice, sugar syrup doesn’t form crystals.
  4. Keep this syrup aside nearby. You need it warm right after frying the gulab jamuns.
Making Gulab Jamun balls
  1. Grease your palms with some ghee. With your hands, knead the whole dough once.
  2. Make small balls from the dough about 10 grams each. When rolling the balls, make sure the balls are smooth with no cracks, else they might break when frying. Squeeze the dough between your palms to make it smooth and crack-free. If there are cracks, add a few drops of milk to make it smooth.
  3. The balls will increase in size after frying & soaking in syrup. Make equal-sized balls, about 19, from this dough.
Frying and soaking the Gulab Jamun
  1. Heat the ghee/oil well in a fry pan/wok to about 325°F (160°C). Gently add the dough balls to the ghee. Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches. 
  2. Fry on medium-low heat. On high heat, they will get dark from the outside but will not be cooked well from the inside. Stir gently so they are golden brown on all sides.
  3. Remove them using a slotted spoon. Hold them in the slotted spoon to remove extra oil for 5-10 seconds. Then add them to the syrup while the syrup is warm at around 100°F / 38°C temperature (not boiling hot) so they soak in all the sweetness and become soft. If the syrup is too hot, the balls might break or shrink. If it is cold, then the balls will not soak the syrup well. Soak for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. Soaking for up to 2-3 hours is even better.
  4. Gulab Jamun's are ready to be enjoyed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Optionally, garnish with slivered pistachios.

Notes

  • Serve Gulab Jamun warm or at room temperature with 2-3 jamuns per bowl, topped with syrup and garnished with sliced pistachios or almonds.
  • For a rich variation, serve warm gulab jamun with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  • Avoid excess baking powder to prevent hardening or breaking of jamuns during frying.
  • Dough balls should be smooth and soft without cracks; knead again if cracking occurs.
  • Maintain oil temperature during frying to ensure even cooking without burning or undercooking inside.
  • Ensure dough has appropriate moisture; add milk gradually to avoid dryness which causes hard jamuns.
  • Let sugar syrup cool to about 100°F before soaking the jamuns to prevent shrinking.

Nutrition Information

Calories 103kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 0.01g (1%) Cholesterol 5mg (2%) Sodium 36mg (2%) Potassium 19mg (0%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 61IU (1%) Vitamin C 0.3mg (0%) Calcium 94mg (9%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 19 Gulab Jamun

Amount Per Serving

Calories 103

% Daily Value*

Calories 103kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 36mg 2%
Potassium 19mg 0%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin A 61IU 1%
Vitamin C 0.3mg 0%
Calcium 94mg 9%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.