Combinations of strong and aromatic flavors like cardamom, turmeric or saffron characterize India’s extraordinary cuisine. It’s distinct and rich taste has made it popular with people all around the world. On the menus of specialized restaurants, you will find a huge variety of dishes that Westerners would define as Indian curry, from Tandoori Chicken to Lamb Vindaloo. Surprisingly, what hasn’t gained a lot of attention beyond India’s borders, are the country’s mouth-watering desserts. A real pitty considering that the distinct aromas make for delicious sweet treats that are without equal around the globe. For that very reason, we are presenting you one of the most traditional treats: Gulab Jamun.
Gulab Jamuns are deep-fried balls of dough soaked in a syrup of rose and cardamom. A topping of chopped pistachios and almonds add a special touch. The little spheres are surely amongst India’s most popular sweets. You will hardly find anybody in the whole country who doesn’t love the simple and cheap-to-make candy. And for that reason, you will always be close to a street vendor who sells the beloved deliciousness.
Now, if you have a very sweet tooth, we need to mention that you could get addicted to Gulab Jamuns after the very first bite. After all, the balls of dough have soaked up a lot of sugary liquid over several hours. No doubt, you will feel like in heaven – be it from the aromatic flavors or simply the intense sugar rush. But even if you aren’t the greatest lover of sweet stuff, you should at least give them a try. Maybe just don’t pop a whole ball into your mouth at once. And if you won’t end up liking the taste, Gulab Jamuns are still a great way of getting your blood sugar levels up if you need an immediate boost.
Where Does Gulab Jamun Come From?
The traditional dessert was first prepared in India in medieval times. Turkic invaders had brought a fritter to the country which served as a model for the shiny spheres. Rumor has it that Gulab Jamun, as we know it today, was actually an accidental invention. Allegedly, the personal chef of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan created them by coincidence. If only he knew how many million people he is making happy today with his simple creation.
Over the centuries, Gulab Jamun has become hugely popular across the country. Together with other mouth-watering sugary treats, they are a staple at Indian celebrations like Diwali or Holi, today. But they don’t just make an appearance on such great national events. You will find Gulab Jamun at any kind of Indian party, be it a birthday, wedding or any other festive occasion. And there popularity doesn’t stop there. While Gulab Jamuns are considered a typical Indian delicacy, they can also be found in neighboring countries like Bangladesh or Pakistan. To our surprise, they have even made it as far as Jamaica. Outside of India, you will find the little balls by somewhat different names, though, such as Gulab Jaman, Lal Mohan or Gulabjam.
That leaves us with one open question: what does the name mean? The Persian expression gulāb is a composition of the words “flower” and “water” which refers to the rosewater that finds use as flavoring in the syrup. The second part, Jāmun, is the Hindi word for Syzygium jambolanum, also known as black plum. It is a fruit native to India that is similar in size and shape to the sweet balls. Thus, it also explains the use of its name. While both parts are a reference to the sweet’s original and most common composition, there is a wide variety with different flavors and also appearances today.
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The Secret Behind Making Gulab Jamuns
Traditional Gulab Jamun is made with “dried milk”. For the so-called Khoya, milk is boiled and thereby reduced until only white solids are left. It has basically the consistency of a very soft dough. Making Khoya is an hours-long process that involves steady stirring. A tedious task that many Indians nowadays rather avoid by getting Khoya straight from the supermarket. Outside of the country, Khoya can sometimes be found in the freezer section of Indian supermarkets or grocery stores.
How To Make Gulab Jamuns At Home
For people who haven’t made Gulab Jamun before, the perfectly round, shiny balls might look a bit intimidating to make at home. However, it is quite the contrary if you stick to some easy principles. And this simplicity is also what makes the traditional sweet such a great fingerfood at buffets. .Well, at least in India where you can easily get ready-to-use ingredients.
Proper Khoya might not be easily available where you live and you may not have the time to boil milk for hours. Gladly, there is an easy fix for that. Our recipe below makes use of powdered milk. A comfortable alternative that is not quite like the original to be fair, but more than decent. Another good news is that you also won’t have to worry about getting an unauthentic result. Nowadays, it is actually a common way of substituting traditional Khoya in India as well. Other modern recipes even call for Paneer, a traditional Indian cottage cheese, as the dairy ingredient.
So for your next party or any kind of festive occasion, surprise your guests with some mouth-watering Gulab Jamuns. The traditional Indian treat will satisfy even the sweetest tooth. And if you are intrigued but don’t want to make them yourself, you might be lucky enough to find Gulab Jamuns in an Indian or Pakistani grocery store somewhere near you. Even though, online might be your best bet in this case.
If you cannot get enough of all the sugary Indian treats, we have another very special one in stall for you. Malaiyo, a specialty from the holy city of Varanasi, is not only extremely delicious like a heavenly froth. But also surpises with its preparation method which makes it only available on winter mornings. Check it out!
Here’s All You Need
Traditionelle Indische Gulab Jamun in Rosen-Kardamom-Sirup
Ingredients
Für den Sirup:
- 500 ml Wasser
- 300 g Zucker
- 1 EL Rosenwasser
- 2 Kardamomkapseln
- Einige Safranfäden
Für den Teig:
- 70 g Mehl
- 180 g Milchpulver
- 1 TL Backpulver
- 1 TL Kardamompulver
- 150 ml Milch
- 20 g Butter/Ghee
- 2 EL Kokosflocken
Zum Frittieren:
- 1 l Öl
Instructions
- Für den Sirup, Wasser zusammen mit Zucker, Rosenwasser, Kardamomkapseln und Safranfäden in einem Topf zum Kochen bringen. Danach etwa 5-6 Minuten köcheln lassen. Die Mischung mag zunächst sehr flüssig und nicht wie Sirup aussehen. So ist es jedoch genau richtig. Ist der Sirup zu dickflüssig, saugen die Bällchen diesen nämlich später nicht richtig auf. Beim Abkühlen wir der Sirup später fester
- Nun Mehl, Milchpulver, Kardamompulver und Backpulver in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Milch und Ghee (oder Butter) zusammen erwärmen und über die Mehlmischung gießen. Alles ordentlich kneten bis ein glatter Teig entsteht, der noch leicht an den Händen kleben bleibt. Die Schüssel abdecken und den Teig etwa 15 Minuten ruhen lassen
- Die Hände mit Mehl bestäuben und damit kleine Teigbällchen formen ohne den Teig zu fest zusammen zu drücken. Die Kugeln sollten etwas kleiner als ein Tischtennisball sein
- Es ist wichtig, dass der Teig keine Risse aufweist. Sollte dies der Fall sein, lieber noch einmal kneten und erneut rollen. Dann die Bällchen auf Backpapier legen
- Das Öl in einer großen Pfanne oder Topf auf 170°C erhitzen, danach die Hitze reduzieren. Die Gulab Jamuns in kleinen Mengen in das Öl geben
- Die Bällchen etwa 1-2 Minuten bei mittlerer Hitze frittieren, damit sie innen gleichmäßig garen ohne dabei außen zu hart zu werden. Die Gulab Jamuns sind fertig sobald sie eine goldbraune Farbe bekommen
- Die frittierten Kugeln herausnehmen und auf Küchenrolle abtropfen lassen bevor sie im Sirup getränkt werden. Es ist wichtig, dass der Sirup noch warm, jedoch nicht heiß ist, damit die Bällchen ihre Form behalten und die süße Flüssigkeit gut aufsaugen können
- Die Gulab Jamuns etwa 24 Stunden im Sirup lassen. Den Behälter bedeckt halten und die Bällchen ab und zu wenden
- Guten Appetit!
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Similar to:
Rasgulla from India
Loukoumades from Greece
Lokma from Turkey
Images:
IMG_0487 by Kaustubh Naik, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Gulab Jamun by icon on Pixabay
