Mawa Gulab Jamun

Mawa Gulab Jamun

If a dessert was to be crowned as the king it certainly has to be the Gulab Jamun. This piece of heaven that simply melts in the mouth is almost every Indian Mithai lover’s favorite.

I am generally good at everyday cooking but when it comes to making traditional Indian desserts, it just daunts me to no end. However, I am always keen on learning and mastering the art of making traditional sweets. Gulab Jamuns are my favorite, and I usually make them with the gulab jamun mixes available in stores. Although they too are tasty and melt in mouth but still nowhere close to the Mawa Gulab Jamuns. At my in-laws place, mawa gulab jamuns are a hit. And they are made in almost all special occasions. This recipe of mawa gulab jamun, I learned from my father in law who I would say is a pro in making them.

During my recent visit to my in-law's place, I learned the process, which looked effortless and with very few ingredients. The only effort is kneading the dough with mawa. The main ingredient is of course mawa or khoya (milk solids) and some maida and ghee for binding.

Here, the ingredients that I have mentioned may not correspond to the pictures that I have posted, because in the pictures the gulab jamuns were made in a large quantity since we have a joint family but to make the measurements look simple, I have reduced the amount accordingly with the same ratio for ease of understanding.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Servings: 5-6 persons

Ingredients:

• 500 gams Mawa/ Khoya
• 50 gms Maida
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 2 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Oil/ghee for deep frying

Instructions:

• For the syrup, in a deep heavy bottomed vessel, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and add cardamom powder. Keep the syrup aside.
• Sieve the maida in a mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of warm ghee and mix the maida and ghee thoroughly.
• Crumble the Mawa on a plate and make it pliable. Alternatively, you can grate it too.
• Combine the mawa and the maida ghee mixture and knead it thoroughly to form a uniform dough.
• Divide the dough into equal parts and give the desired shape of either balls or ovals.
• Heat oil in a kadhai or wok. Reduce the heat to medium-low and deep fry the jamuns till dark brown turning them in intervals for uniform browning.
• Remove the fried jamuns from oil and soak in the prepared syrup. Let it soak for about 30 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold as desired.

Tips:

• Always use fresh mawa for best results.
• In case the dough becomes dry, a few spoons of milk can be added to adjust the consistency. Alternatively, if the dough is sticky then add a bit more of maida.
• Fry the jamuns in batches. Do not overcrowd the oil with the jamuns or they may break while turning and also will not fry well.
• The Jamuns should be fried in medium to low heat so that they get cooked from inside. Frying in high heat will brown the jamuns quickly but the inside will remain uncooked.
• Make sure the syrup is of the right consistency, or the jamuns will not soak well.
• If the syrup is thin then the jamuns may become too soft and break, and if the syrup is too thick then the jamuns will not soak completely.