Gulab Jamun is a very popular, soft, and melt-in-mouth milk-based Indian sweet recipe that consists of deep-fried dumplings that are prepared using khoya or milk powder and soaked in saffron or rose cardamom flavored sugar syrup. Each jamun is under 130 calories, and the entire dish can be prepared in about 40 minutes.
About Gulab Jamun Recipe
Ask any Indian what is there favorite Indian mithai or which is the most popular Indian sweet. Ninety percent of them would say gulab jamun. Gulab Jamun is easy to prepare and is loved by people of all age groups.
The sweet originated in Persia, and it was then introduced in India. According to Wikipedia, gulab jamun is also referred to as referred as Gulab jaman, Lal mohan, Gulab jam, Gulap jam, etc. As you would have guessed, gulab jamun is also popular in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and other parts of the sub-continent.
This delicious sweet is prepared during festivals like Diwali, Navratri, Holi, Eid, Ramzan, Christmas, and special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or even parties. There are numerous ready mixes available in the market to prepare gulab jamun, but homemade ones are always the best.
Serving Suggestions and Build-on Recipe Ideas with Gulab Jamun
At parties, gulab jamuns are usually served warm. But many of my friends, including my husband, likes to have it chilled right from the refrigerator.
Warm gulab jamun can be served with a cold scoop of ice cream to it extra special.
Gulab jamuns can also be used to prepare fusion desserts such as cakes, cheesecakes, fusion desserts in jars, chocolate-covered truffles, decadent mousse, custard, ice cream, homemade falooda, etc.
Some popular recipe variations to this milk-based dessert recipe are Dry Gulab Jamun, Kala Jamun, Bread Jamun, Semolina Jamun, Mava Jamun, etc.
Check out my collection of popular snacks and sweet recipes for different Indian festivals.
- Diwali snacks recipes
- Diwali sweets recipe
- Fasting or Vrat recipes
- Delicious Homemade Nankhatai
- Nutritious Badam Ladoo
- The Best Carrot Halwa
Ingredients for Gulab Jamun
- Milk powder - is the main ingredient in this gulab jamoon recipe. I have used non-fat dry milk powder that is readily available in stores worldwide. You can also add regular milk powder (e.g., EveryDay from Nestle, etc.) You can also use khoya (also known as khoa or mava/mawa), paneer (or chenna), etc., to prepare these jamuns. Those who want a dairy-free version can use bread slices, semolina, etc., to make dairy-free gulab jamuns.
- Vegetable shortening (or Dalda) - is added to enrich the gulab jamun dough. Some people use butter, ghee, vegetable oil, etc.
- All-purpose flour (or Maida) - in a small amount, helps bind the gulab jamun dough. It helps the dough balls retain their shape when fried in oil. This is an optional ingredient, but I always add it to the recipe. You can completely substitute all-purpose flour with semolina.
- Semolina (or Suji/Sooji) - helps in binding the dough. It helps make the jamuns tender because, unlike all-purpose flour (maida), gluten formation is slower in the case of semolina. Ensure to presoak semolina in warm milk or warm water for a few minutes before adding them to the dough. You can replace sooji with maida, but the jamuns can turn dense and chalky.
- Warm milk - is used to soak semolina. You can also use warm water. Cold milk/water increases the soaking time of semolina.
- Baking powder - is the leavening agent added to the dough so that fried gulab jamuns are light, airy, and ready to absorb sugar syrup. You can also use baking soda and add a tablespoon of yogurt. The acid in the yogurt helps to activate baking soda.
- Sugar - coarse/fine granulated sugar is used to prepare a simple syrup in which the fried jamoons are soaked for a few hours. Ensure the syrup achieves the right consistency. If it is watery, the fried dough balls will absorb too much liquid, becomes mushy, and breaks apart easily.
- Cardamom powder, Saffron threads, or Rose water - is used to flavor the simple sugar syrup.
- Lemon juice - is added to prevent the sugar used in the syrup from crystallizing.
- Vegetable oil - for frying. You can use coconut oil or any neutral-flavored oil to fry these gulab jamuns.
Refer to the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Step by Step Recipe
Step 1 (Prepare the dough) - Soak semolina in milk for 5 minutes. To a bowl, add milk powder, vegetable shortening, all-purpose flour, soaked semolina, and baking powder, and mix well. Add water little by little and mix to form a dough. Let the dough rest and hydrate for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2 (Fry the dough balls) - After the dough has rested, make small balls out of this. Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, fry them on a medium-low flame until the jamuns become golden brown on all sides. Transfer the fried dough balls to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Keep these aside till the sugar syrup is ready.
Step 3 (Prepare the sugar syrup) - In a pot, add sugar, water, lemon juice, and saffron threads and bring it to a nice boil on a medium flame for about 8 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool off a bit.
Step 4 (Soaking the fried jamuns in syrup) - Add the fried jamuns to the warm sugar syrup. Ensure the syrup is warm/hot (not boiling) while adding the jamuns. Let this soak for at least one hour.
Gulab Jamun is now ready. Serve chilled or warm, and enjoy!
Expert Chef Tips
- You can fry the jamuns in ghee or brown butter to make them rich and traditional.
- You can use saffron or rose water, or both in the recipe.
- While serving, you can also garnish it with some pistachios, almonds, or cashews if desired.
- While frying, make sure the oil is hot. If the oil is not hot, the jamuns can absorb oil and turn soggy. Adding them to very hot oil will lead them to develop brown color on the surface quickly and will remain uncooked on the inside.
- Regulate the flame. When dough balls are dropped into the oil, ensure the oil is hot and the flame is medium. As soon as the dough balls develop some color, reduce the flame to low (or medium-low) and continue frying until the whole jamun is golden brown in color.
- Add fried gulab jamuns to the warm sugar syrup (not boiling). Adding the jamuns to boiling syrup can make them extra soft and break. On the other hand, adding these to cold syrup will not allow the jamuns to absorb the syrup.
Make-ahead and Storage Instructions
You can make gulab jamuns ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days making them a perfect dessert for parties or other festivals. Warm it on the stovetop for a few minutes when ready to serve. If you (or your guests) love to have chilled gulab jamuns, serve them immediately!
FAQs
If you add too much baking powder (leavening agent) while preparing the dough, the dough balls can break while frying.
The dough balls should be crack-free (smooth) on the surface before adding them to the oil. Else they will break while frying.
If the soaked jamuns turn soft/mushy, it is because the sugar syrup was watery/did not reach the right consistency.
If the dough has low moisture content or if the dough has less (or poor quality) leavening agent, the fried jamuns can turn hard/dense.
Adding too much baking powder (or baking soda as leaving agent) to the dough can turn the gulab jamuns bitter/caustic.
Most Popular Milk-based Desserts/Sweets
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Recipe card
Gulab Jamun Recipe with Milk Powder {Easy, Juicy, and Tender}
Ingredients
To make jamuns
- 2 cups Milk powder
- 3 tablespoon Vegetable shortening or Vanaspati dalda
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour or Maida
- 2 tablespoon Semolina or Sooji rava
- 3 tablespoon Warm whole milk
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ cup Warm water for the dough
To prepare saffron or rose cardamom flavored sugar syrup
- 1 ½ cup Sugar
- 5 strands Saffron or Kesar or 1 teaspoon rose water
- 2 cups Water
- ⅛ teaspoon Lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom powder
Other Ingredient
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Step I - Prepare Jamuns from scratch
- Soak semolina or sooji in milk for 5 minutes.2 tablespoon Semolina, 3 tablespoon Warm whole milk
- In a bowl, add milk powder and vegetable shortening and mix well. Then add the all purpose flour and baking powder and mix well.2 cups Milk powder, 3 tablespoon Vegetable shortening, 2 tablespoon All purpose flour, ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- Now add the soaked sooji to this mixture and mix again. Finally, add ½ cup of water little by little to form a dough and keep this aside for 10 to 15 minutes.½ cup Warm water
- Now make small balls out of this dough. See that there are no cracks, else it might break while frying.
Step II - Frying gulab jamuns
- Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Once the oil is hot, on medium-low flame, fry the jamuns till they become golden brown on all the sides.Vegetable oil
- Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Keep this aside till the sugar syrup is ready.
Step III - Prepare Cardamom saffron or rose-flavored sugar syrup
- In a bowl add sugar, saffron strands, water, and lemon juice and bring it to a nice boil on a medium flame for about 8 minutes, stirring it occasionally.1 ½ cup Sugar, 5 strands Saffron, 2 cups Water, ⅛ teaspoon Lemon juice
- Now add the cardamom powder and mix well.⅛ teaspoon Cardamom powder
Step IV
- Add the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup. Make sure that the syrup is hot while adding the jamuns. Let this soak for at least one hour before serving. You can also make gulab jamuns ahead and refrigerate them.
- Gulab Jamun is now ready. Serve chilled or warm, and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Chef Tips
- You can fry the jamuns in ghee or brown butter to make them rich and traditional.
- You can use saffron or rose water, or both in the recipe.
- While serving, you can also garnish it with some pistachios, almonds, or cashews if desired.
- While frying, make sure the oil is hot. If the oil is not hot, the jamuns can absorb oil and turn soggy. Adding them to very hot oil will lead them to develop brown color on the surface quickly and will remain uncooked on the inside.
- Regulate the flame. When dough balls are dropped into the oil, ensure the oil is hot and the flame is medium. As soon as the dough balls develop some color, reduce the flame to low (or medium-low) and continue frying until the whole jamun is golden brown in color.
- Add fried gulab jamuns to the warm sugar syrup (not boiling). Adding the jamuns to boiling syrup can make them extra soft and break. On the other hand, adding these to cold syrup will not allow the jamuns to absorb the syrup.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
- You can make gulab jamuns ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days making them a perfect dessert for parties or other festivals. Warm it on the stovetop for a few minutes when ready to serve. If you (or your guests) love to have chilled gulab jamuns, serve them immediately!
Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this recipe in October 2015. It has now been modified in July 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Moumita Malla
It is too delicious and perfect
Kushi
Thank you Moumita 🙂
Scarlet
Thanks for this gulab jamun recipe. I love to try new things!
Lillie
I've loved eating these sweets in India restaurants, but never knew how to make them until this. Thanks!
Rachana
Gulab Jamun is easily the best & most classic Indian dessert for all happy occassions, and your recipe feels a lot more approachable & the jamuns came out so well when I tried making them your way!