This shortcut will make your Gulab Jamuns easier and tastier

Be it any occasion - festival, pot luck, or even family gatherings, Gulab Jamun (GJ) never fails to lure us! The soft and warm sweet balls when dipped in a sugar syrup give our mouth a delicious taste that lingers for a long time. Due to the softness of this dessert, people assume it's quite difficult to make. However, on the contrary, it is quite easy to make and can be flavoured with rose water and green cardamom. (Images courtesy: iStock)

Also Read: The fascinating story of Gulab Jamun

There are several variations of a Gulab Jamun and they all are made using all-purpose flour/khoya with a filling of dry fruits. Some also use paneer to prepare the dough of the balls. It all depends on how soft you are planning to make the Gulab Jamuns. Once the dough is made with paneer/khoya and flour along with cornflour, cardamom powder and baking powder, the dough is divided into small balls, which are fried until the dark brown colour is achieved and is then dipped in a sugar syrup flavoured with rose water.

If you are planning to make Gulab Jamuns on short notice, all you need to do is find some pancake mixture and milk powder. It is the most common shortcut to making soft Gulab Jamuns at home and the best thing is no one will ever find out the ingredients as they taste just like store-bought Gulab Jamuns. Here’s how you can make pancake mix & milk powder-based Gulab Jamuns at home.

Take a large bowl and mix together 1/2 cup pancake mixture with 1 1/2 cup milk powder. You can sift them as well. Add in 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream until a dense and sticky dough forms. Roll the dough nicely and pinch small pieces from it to make small balls of the dough. Place them all on a plate and firmly cover with a damp paper towel and make sure that they don’t dry out.

Now, put a kadhai over medium flame and boil 3 cups of water in it. Add 2-3 cups of granulated sugar along with 1 tsp rose water and 2 pinches of cardamom powder. Let the mixture boil until you see a one-string consistency. The sugar syrup is now ready, keep it aside.

Now, heat another kadhai over medium flame and add oil/ghee to it. When the oil/ghee is hot enough, add the damp balls one by one and deep-fry them until dark brown in colour. Once all the balls are done, add them to the sugar syrup and soak them for 30-40 minutes. You will notice that the balls have swelled a little. Serve these instant Gulab Jamuns warm with some sugar syrup.