My favourite accompanying dessert for a puri and kadalai curry meal is gulab jamun. While I think this sweet originated from Punjab, it is very popular around Asia. Having a sweet tooth, I simply love this dessert though we hardly make it in our house anymore. Today, I will share my mother’s version of gulab jamun.

Gulab Jamun

Time taken: 30 mins

Makes 12 or 15 gulab jamun

Ingredients:

• Milk powder – 6 tbsp
• Wheat flour – 2 tbsp
• Baking powder – ¾ tsp
• Oil, for deep-frying
• Water – ¾ cup
• Sugar – ¼ cup
• Kesari powder – pinch
• Rose essence – few drops

Method:

1. Mix the milk powder, wheat flour, baking powder and stir in a little water to knead the dough.
2. Make small balls from the dough and place them on a plate. Let them rest for about 5 mins.
3. Heat some oil in a pan on low heat.
4. Once the oil is ready for deep-frying, drop a few of the balls at a time and deep-fry them. Ensure that they turn golden brown on all sides by turning them around.
5. Remove from pan and place them on a plate with grease absorbing paper.
6. In a sauce pan, boil ¾ cup of water with ¼ cup of sugar, a pinch of kesari powder and a few drops of rose essence.
7. Once the syrup comes together, remove sauce pan from stove and transfer syrup to a bowl.
8. Transfer the gulab jamun from the plate to the syrup bowl.
9. Cover the bowl and let the gulab jamun absorb the syrup for some time.
10. Serve warm

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.