Gulab Jamun Recipe | How To Make Gulab Jamun (With Khoya/Mawa)

  Gulab Jamun | Gulab Jaman recipe with khoya. Step-by-step recipe with pictures to make soft, melt-in-the-mouth, homemade Gulab Jamun from scratch!

Gulab Jamun is one of the few things that I prepared when I was in school, under my mom’s supervision. Mom was pretty co-operative if I’d say I want to try something in the kitchen. Of course, I didn’t make it from scratch but used the ever-popular Gits gulab jamun mix that was available then and still is!

I so vividly remember the first time I made this Indian dessert, they were bigger than golf balls..hahaha 😀 They were certainly not the best but weren’t so bad either. Well, I just moved on, and my next few attempts in the coming years yielded some better-looking jamuns.

In recent years, I’ve had this love-hate relationship with Indian dessert. I know you probably wonder how can someone hate this sweet? Well, ask me, if you eat too many in one go, it is not going to be a very pleasant situation because this stuff is so high in sugar.

Unless of course, you’ve got an awesome tolerance for the sweet stuff.  I didn’t touch one for the next few years, it’s only recently that I’ve started enjoying them again, and realized that these Indian sweet balls or Indian milk balls should definitely be eaten in moderation.

You should not bother about calories when it comes to eating this Indian dessert, it’s just not right! There is nothing like a healthy gulab jamun recipe IMHO, so I wouldn’t even bother putting in the time and effort to try a baked version, because it still has mawa which in fact is calorie-rich and if you are going to dunk it in sugar syrup, I’ll pass!

Might as well indulge if you are going to put in that kind of effort to make these.

What is gulab jamun?

Gulab Jamuns are deep-fried milk balls or Indian fried dough balls made primarily with milk solids and a binding agent such as flour or semolina. These deep-fried balls are then immersed in a warm, thick sugar syrup flavored with rose and cardamom. They are pretty much an Indian version of donuts. In fact, it would be interesting to actually shape them as donuts!

A little history about this dessert

Gulab jamun was first prepared in medieval India, derived from a fritter that Central Asian Turkic invaders brought to India. One theory claims that it was accidentally prepared by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s personal chef.

The word “gulab” is derived from the Persian words gol (flower) and āb (water), referring to the rose water-scented syrup. “Jamun” or “jaman” is the Hindi-Urdu word for Syzygium jambolanum, an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum.

The Arab dessert luqmat al-qadi is similar to gulab jamun, although it uses a different batter. According to the culinary historian Michael Krondl, both luqmat al-qadi and gulab jamun may have derived from a Persian dish, with rose water syrup being a common connection between the two. {Wiki}

Ingredients needed 

You basically need 4 ingredients to make this traditional Indian dessert;

1. Khoya/khoa/mawa (evaporated milk solids)
2. A binding agent (flour/semolina)
3. Sugar
4. Flavorings like cardamom and rose water.

Some halwai’s (Indian confectioners and sweet makers) will also add freshly prepared paneer. A leavening agent like baking soda or powder is also added to make soft gulab jamun and is an optional ingredient that must be added with caution. Read on further to know why!

You can also make jamuns with semolina and condensed milk, or with milk powder or wheat flour or even a pancake mix, such as Bisquick.

Quite a number of ways there, but trust me nothing beats the traditional version. And if you venture into making the mawa at home too, then you definitely will have the best gulab jamun recipe ever!

I can be pretty lazy that way, so I’ve used store-bought mawa or khoya, which you will easily find in the freezer section of any Indian store. If you are in India, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding it as most dairy shops or sweet marts sell mawa. You can also make instant mawa with milk powder.

Different versions of this dessert

There many different types of gulab jamun like the ones made from

• Bread
• Sweet potatoes
• Semolina or rava
• Kala jamun is another popular variant 

The difference between kala jamun and gulab jamun is in the color. Kala means black in Hindi and that’s what the color of these jamuns are, simply because they are fried longer. Due to the extended frying, they have a thick exterior, need more soaking time in sugar syrup. Kala jaam are usually stuffed with a mawa-dried fruit mixture. They may or may not be served with syrup.

A gist of the recipe

I’m going to give you a very short summary to make these at home since I’ve given pretty detailed instructions below.

• Preparing the dough (Please refer to FAQs for queries like why my gulab jamuns are too soft or hard, how to make crack-free jamuns are all dependent on the dough).
• Preparing the sugar syrup.
• The correct temperature and technique to fry the jamuns. (FAQs cover up questions like why gulab jamuns disintegrate in oil and the right way to always fry jamuns).

Point 2 is the simplest of these 3. But the 1st and 3rd points have to be taken care of to make fail-proof and perfect gulab jamuns. 

My top tips to make soft gulab jamuns 

• To make crack-free and soft gulab jamuns, it is all about the dough. The heart of this recipe!
• Moisture plays an important role in the dough. Fresh mawa has moisture, so a binding agent like flour is added to absorb all that moisture in order to form a dough. In this case, you may not need any liquid like milk or water to form a dough.
• Store-bought mawa is dry and will definitely need milk or water to form a dough. Add it gradually.
• If the dough is too soft, sticky, and moist, add more flour/cornstarch/semolina, if it is too dry add a little milk or water.
• The best way to make crack-free balls is to grease your palms with oil or ghee. Squeeze the mixture between you palm them roll it into a smooth ball.
• If you see visible cracks, it is likely that your dough is dry and needs a little moisture to make it softer. Fix the cracks before you even attempt frying them, coz the jamuns will break apart in the oil.
• While making the chasni, lemon juice is added to prevent the crystallization of the sugar, so do not skip it.
• You may also make stuffed jamuns, by filling the center with a mixture of khoya and chopped nuts.

As a beginner, you may encounter some common problems while making this dessert. For that very reason, I’ve listed troubleshooting solutions in the FAQs below the instructions. Please go through them. If you still have doubts, you can always drop in a comment here.

I hope you will find this easy and simple recipe of mawa gulab jamun useful. Make them whatever size you like, regular or mini, but do give this recipe a shot now that the festive season is around! And if you have some more tips, do share them with me. I’d love to learn those too 🙂

How to make gulab jamun – Step by step process

Step 1: Prepare the dough

If using frozen mawa, bring it to room temperature. Grate the block of mawa and transfer to a shallow bowl/plate.

Knead the mawa with the heels of your palm for 1-2 minutes. Then add sifted flour, along with cardamom powder, and baking powder.

Mix the ingredients well using your fingertips. Then add milk, a tablespoon at a time, and knead gently just until the dough comes together with minimal cracks. {Do not add too much milk in a go, or else the dough will become too soft and sticky. If that happens, add more flour and knead until the dough is nice and soft. Do not overwork the dough}. If using homemade mawa, you may not need the milk or water at all to knead, as homemade mawa is moist enough, and the flour will absorb the excess moisture.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen napkin and set it aside for 15 minutes.

Step 2:Prepare the chasni or sugar syrup

While the dough is resting, prepare the sugar syrup. Add water and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. You may add some crushed cardamom pods now instead of adding the powder later. Bring it to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sugar syrup simmer for 7-8 minutes.

Next, add lemon juice, gulab jal (rose water), or saffron along with cardamom powder. Mix well and switch off the heat. The sugar syrup consistency should be sticky, there is no need for a one-string consistency. Remove the pan off the heat and set it aside.

Step 3: Making crack-free jamuns

Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions, about 1 tbsp each. You can make as big or small-sized jamuns as you’d like. Grease your palms with oil. Take a portion and squeeze it between your palm, then make a crack-free, smooth ball by rolling it lightly between your palms. If it forms cracks, add little milk/water to the dough. If it’s too sticky add a teaspoon or more flour to the dough.

2.Prepare the remaining balls in the same way, keep covered with a clean, damp cloth to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust.

Step 4: Frying the jamuns

Heat sufficient oil or ghee (enough to cover up the jamuns completely) in a heavy-bottomed kadai on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat. (I use a gas range oven with electric coils and the heat was maintained between 2-3 throughout the frying process). To check if the oil is at the right temperature and the consistency of the dough is perfect, drop a small piece of dough.

• If it sizzles and comes up too quickly, the oil is overheated. It will result in hard gulab jamuns that will remain uncooked from within.
• If it stays at the bottom of the kadai for more than a minute, the oil is not hot enough.
• If it stays down for a few seconds, then sizzles and comes up slowly, it is the right temperature. The oil is ready to be used for frying.
• If the dough does not disintegrate while frying, it is perfect, and you can proceed with frying the jamuns.

Slip 4-5 balls in the oil, they will sink to the bottom of the kadai. Do not try to move them, they should rise on their own. Once they rise and begin to float, keep rotating the jamuns with a slotted spoon so that they cook evenly from within and have a uniform golden brown color or dark brown (as per your preference) on the outside. The jamuns will expand slightly on frying. A well-fried gulab jamun takes anywhere between 8-10 minutes or even a little longer depending on the size.

Step 5: Dunk the jamuns in warm chasni

If the sugar syrup has turned cold, heat it just until it is warm. Drain off excess oil using a slotted spoon and transfer the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup. Continue frying and transferring the remaining jamuns to the warm sugar syrup, in a sufficiently large bowl with enough space as the jamuns will expand further in the syrup.

Let it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes to 2-3 hours. I transferred everything into a deep bowl so that the jamuns were completely immersed in the syrup. You may reheat it before serving if you like to have them warm or serve it cold. It tastes amazing either way! Garnish with sliced almonds or pistachios.

Storage instructions

These will keep well in an airtight container for about 2 days at room temperature and up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

You may freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy it cold or heat it in the microwave if you prefer to have it warm. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Why are my gulab jamuns too soft?

• You may have added more baking powder or baking soda, which made the jamuns very light. It may also disintegrate while frying.
• Secondly, you may have placed the fried jamuns in hot sugar syrup, which also causes them to disintegrate or shrink.
• There is not much you can do to rectify soft jamuns. I would avoid dunking them in the syrup and pour the syrup over the jamuns just before serving in individual bowls.

Why are my gulab jamuns hard? 

There are two major reasons if the resultant jamuns are hard-

• The dough was not soft and supple, it lacked moisture- If you kneaded a hard dough, chances are that the jamuns will be hard too.
• The temperature of the oil was too high. If you fry the jamuns at high heat, the jamuns will turn brown on the outside and remain doughy and uncooked on the inside.
• The consistency of the sugar syrup was too thick. Remember to only cook the sugar syrup until it is thick, do not look for any thread consistency. If the syrup is too thick it won’t seep through the core of the jamuns.

So then how to fix hard gulab jamun?

The best way to avoid this scenario is by taking precautions and following the recipe. But I understand that errors do happen especially when you try attempting them for the first time.

If you thought you got the dough right, fried and dunked them in syrup only to realize later that the jamuns are still hard and not cooked you can still give a shot at salvaging the jamuns.

Transfer everything in a pan, bring the syrup to a boil. Switch off the heat and cover the pan for 30-45 minutes. The hot syrup and the steam in the pan should help soften them. You could also prick the jamuns with a toothpick to help the sugar syrup seep right into the core of the jamuns.

Another alternative is to try microwaving it for a few seconds.

How to make the perfect sugar syrup for this dessert?

This is the easiest part of the recipe and yet one that needs attention. It is also easy to fix if you overcook the syrup.

The sugar syrup ratio or chasni for most Indian sweets is generally 1:1 or even 2:1 :: sugar : water, but I find that too sweet. So I add a little extra water. For this recipe I’ve used, 400 grams/2 cups of sugar and 625 ml or 2.5 cups of water. It was the perfect sweetness for us.

Mix sugar and water in a pan, heat until sugar melts and the syrup comes to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for another 7-8 minutes until the syrup turns thick. Lastly, add the aromatics like cardamom powder, and gulab jal (rose water) along with some lemon juice.

A common problem related to sugar syrup-

• Gulab jamun not soaking syrup- This happens because they are probably hard and the syrup is too thick. Fix it by adding some water to the syrup, place the jamuns and syrup in the pan and boil. Switch off the heat, cover and leave it undisturbed for 30 minutes.

How to fry jamuns?

• Traditionally only ghee is used to fry. You may use ghee or oil or a mix of both. Heat sufficient ghee or oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. The pan should have enough oil to cover the jamuns completely.
• Slide in a small ball to test for the correct temperature, they should sink to the bottom of the wok/pot, and rise gradually within a few seconds. That is the right temperature.
• If you find that the gulab jamun are disintegrating in oil, there are 2 reasons, one being the oil is not hot enough and second, the dough is probably too dry. Add some more water or milk and knead again.
• Then proceed with frying the jamuns in batches.
• It will take 3-4 minutes for the jamuns to take on a color.
• Keep moving the jamuns in ghee or oil, so that they brown evenly.
• This entire frying process will take anywhere between 8-10 or even 15 minutes depending upon the size of the jamuns. If the oil/ghee is getting too hot, maintain the heat by lowering it or adding some cold oil/ghee. If the temperature is too low, increase the heat a little.

How to eat this dessert?

Hot gulab jamun with ice cream is my favorite way of enjoying this dessert! Sounds odd but I know a lot of folks love having it this way!

This is one such dessert that if it is prepared correctly tastes amazing either hot or cold.

Enjoy these hot in the winters and cold in the summers. You can’t go wrong!

You may also enjoy these classic Indian desserts

• Rasmalai
• Kalakand
• No-cook Kulfi ice cream

★ If you try this gulab jaman recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂 

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Gulab Jamun Recipe | How To Make Gulab Jamun (With Khoya/Mawa)

Freda Dias

Gulab Jamun | Gulab Jaman recipe with khoya. Step-by-step recipe with pictures to make soft, melt-in-the-mouth, homemade Gulab Jamun from scratch!

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 16 gulab jamuns

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml 

For the gulab jamun dough

• 200 grams khoya/mawa, measured and grated or crumbled, approx 1.75 cups loosely packed grated mawa
• 40 grams all-purpose flour (maida), approx 4 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 4-5 tbsp warm milk/water, or as required

For the sugar syrup

• 400 grams / approx 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2.5 cups water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4-5 cardamom pods or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 to 2 tsp rose water or few strands of saffron

Instructions

 

Prepare the dough

• If using frozen mawa, bring it to room temperature. Grate the block of mawa and transfer to a shallow bowl/plate.
• Knead the mawa with the heels of your palm for 1-2 minutes. Then add sifted flour, along with cardamom powder, and baking powder.
• Mix the ingredients well using your fingertips. Then add milk, a tablespoon at a time, and knead gently just until the dough comes together with minimal cracks. {Do not add too much milk in a go, or else the dough will become too soft and sticky. If that happens, add more flour and knead until the dough is nice and soft. Do not overwork the dough}. If using homemade mawa, you may not need the milk or water at all to knead, as homemade mawa is moist enough, and the flour will absorb the excess moisture.
• Cover the dough with a clean kitchen napkin and set it aside for 15 minutes.

Prepare the chasni or sugar syrup

• While the dough is resting, prepare the sugar syrup. Add water and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.You may add some crushed cardamom pods now instead of adding the powder later. Bring it to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sugar syrup simmer for 7-8 minutes.
• Next, add lemon juice, gulab jal (rose water) or saffron along with cardamom powder. Mix well and switch off the heat. The sugar syrup consistency for gulab jamun should be sticky, there is no need for a one string consistency. Remove the pan off the heat and set aside.

Making crack-free jamuns

• Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions, about 1 tbsp each. You can make as big or small sized jamuns as you'd like.
• Grease your palms with oil. Take a portion and squeeze it between your palm, then make a crack-free, smooth ball by rolling it lightly between your palms. If it forms cracks, add little milk/water to the dough. If it's too sticky add a teaspoon or more of flour to the dough.
• Prepare the remaining balls in the same way, keep covered with a clean, damp cloth to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust.

Frying the jamuns

• Heat oil or ghee (enough to cover up the jamuns completely) in a heavy bottomed kadai on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat. (I use a gas range oven with electric coils and the heat was maintained between 2-3 throughout the frying process) To check if oil is the right temperature and the consistency of the dough is perfect, drop a small piece of dough.

  -If it sizzles and comes up too quickly, the oil is overheated. It will result in hard gulab jamuns that will remain uncooked from within.

  -If it stays at the bottom of the kadai for more than a minute, the oil is not hot enough.

  -If it stays down for a few seconds, then sizzles and comes up slowly, it is the right temperature. The oil is ready to be used for frying the gulab jamun.

  -If the dough does not disintegrate while frying, it is perfect, and you can proceed with frying the jamuns. If they crack, add more flour to bind.
• Slip 4-5 balls in the oil, they will sink to the bottom of the kadai. Do not try to move them, they should rise on their own. Once they rise and begin to float, keep rotating the jamuns with a slotted spoon so that they cook evenly from within and have a uniform golden brown color or dark brown (as per your preference)on the outside. The jamuns will expand slightly on frying. A well-fried gulab jamun takes anywhere between 8-10 minutes or even a little longer depending on the size.

Dunk the jamuns in warm sugar syrup

• If the sugar syrup has turned cold, heat it just until it is warm. Drain off excess oil using a slotted spoon and transfer the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup. Continue frying and transferring the remaining jamuns to the warm sugar syrup, in a sufficiently large bowl with enough space as the jamuns will expand further in the syrup.
• Let it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes to 2-3 hours. I transferred everything into a deep bowl so that the jamuns were completely immersed in the syrup. You may reheat it before serving if you like to have them warm or serve it cold. It tastes amazing either way!

Notes

• Lemon juice is added to prevent the crystallization of the sugar, so do not skip it.
• You may also make stuffed gulab jamuns, by filling the center with a mixture of khoya and chopped nuts.
• Gulab Jamun storage | How long does gulab jamun last- These will keep well in an airtight container for about 2 days at room temperature and up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. You may freeze them up to 3 months.

Keyword Gulab Jamun

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