Gulab Jamun With Rose Ice cream

She brings together the dough explaining as she goes how a delicate dough like gulab jamun's doesn't require much of kneading. I shake my head, staring out of the window, watching the raindrops slowly slide from the roof. Having heard of 'how to make perfect gulab jamun' lesson before I had given up on ever mastering them.

'I'm not going to bother making them Ammi (mom), I can do with store bought I'm sure' I said. She nodes her head in disagreement, why on earth would anyone want to buy gulab jamun instead of making them. For her, it's a recipe she knows my heart, a thing to be made on whim, the reliable fall back dessert she has mastered over 20 years.

So what is a gulab jamun you ask? Deep fried cake. Yeastless doughtnut holes. Sweet dumplings. Waffle balls. You can call them what you please. Deep fried walnut sized sweet morsels that swim in a saffron and rose syrup are fit for the king, in calories and flavor. 

These melt in the mouth dumplings are what gets an Indian wedding buffet a 'Shahi' (royal) title. Or any Indian dinner as a matter of fact. Whether it's the Hindu festival of Diwali, Muslim's Eid or marriages, it is dotted in every menu that is something or anything festive. 

Gulab meaning rose refers to the rose water that is often used in the syrup they are soaked in and Jamun refers to a local plum, which are of similar size. The origins of the gulab jamun though disputed like all great culinary creations, is widely accepted to come from the Persian dumplings called Luqmat Al Kadi. Through out the Arab world there are similar versions of sweet fried dumplings that are soaked in the syrup. The Kuwaiti  lugaimat though made with yeast tastes similar.

I usually serve them warm with some vanilla ice cream but this rose ice cream just took it to all new level of deliciousness. 

Gulab Jamun 

Makes 40 small ones, 20 if made larger

Ingredients

1 cup milk powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour 

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ghee

a pinch of cardamom powder

1/4 cup thick cream/milk*

Oil for deep frying 

For syrup

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

Generous pinch of saffron

2 cardamom pods, crushed

1 tsp rose water **

Pistachio for garnishing

Notes

* Cream lends a richer taste but whole fat milk works as well. The quantity may differ according to brand of milk powder, flour and humidity as well. Start with 1 tbsp of cream/milk at a time until right consistency is achieved.

** Since I served them with rose ice cream I didn't add the rose water in the syrup. If serving on it's own do add it.

Method

Mix milk powder, all purpose flour, cardamom and baking powder. 

Adding one tbsp cream at a time to the dry ingredients and create a soft dough. You want a soft dough which not crumbly. If it is, add another tsp of cream to create a palpable dough.

Roll the dough into small balls. I made these mini size by making grape size balls but you could double it.

Make the syrup by adding all the ingredients and bringing it to a vigorous boil for 3-4 minutes. The sugar should melt but you don't want to create any consistency. 

Heat the oil. When the oil is just heated, add the balls. You want to make sure you don't crowd the pan and also that they cook at a really low flame. 

At first the balls will sink to the bottom of the pan. And then rise up. Sometimes they might just get stuck at the bottom so just lightly scrap them with a spoon and it should come rolling up. Make sure they cook and color evenly on all sides.

Cook until golden brown. They should  increase in volume and will further swell up in the syrup.

As soon as they are out of the oil, put them in the warm syrup. 

Soak in the syrup for half an hour.  

If serving later, lightly heat them with the syrup or have them at room temperature.

Serve with rose ice cream

Important Tips

When making the balls make sure there are no cracks on it.  Lightly rub the dough between the palm to smoothen it and roll it into a ball again. If the ball still has cracks, you may require more cream to smoothen it further. 

To deep fry, I recommend using a small (in fact the smallest saucepan) you have so that you don't waste a lot of oil and it is also easier to handle the balls. Add 3-4 at a time depending on the size of the pan.

You can use half oil and half ghee for deep frying for a richer taste.