Gulab Jamun is the most popular Indian dessert. Gulab Jamun’s are deep-fried donut-like balls soaked in sweet rose-flavored syrup. They are so delicious and taste absolutely heavenly. Learn to make the best gulab jamuns with khoya or milk powder, along with all the tips and tricks to get them melt-in-the-mouth soft.
I grew up eating the most soft and fluffy gulab jams that my mom made. I was the kid in the house who loved sweets and had a hard time keeping my hands off these sweet balls of goodness. Every time I opened the refrigerator, I would pop one in my mouth. Shh…don’t tell my daughter, else she will start doing this too.
After eating the gulab jamuns made by my mom, I could really never enjoy store-bought ones, as they were never as soft melt-in-the-mouth, similar to how mom made them. If you have tried the store-bought ones, you will definitely see a difference when you try making them yourself!
Enjoy these Gulab Jamun as is or combine with shrikhand to make these fusion Gulab Jamun Shrikhand bowls or with custard to make Gulab Jamun custard jars.
Don’t forget to check out my other popular Indian desserts – Mawa Gujiya, Kheer, Carrot Halwa, and Zarda Sweet Rice.
Table of Contents
Watch How to Make Gulab Jamun
What is Gulab Jamun?
Gulab Jamun is a classic Indian dessert that is the star of many festive celebrations in India. These are milk-based fried donut balls, which are dunked in sweet sugar syrup to make them melt-in-the-mouth soft.
You might have enjoyed these at lunch buffets at Indian restaurants. They are there at any festival, party, birthday, you name it!
Using Khoya vs. Milk Powder
Gulab Jamun can be made with khoya (mawa) or milk powder.
Khoya is basically milk solids that have been made by simmering milk for a long time until all the water evaporates. We will make gulab jamuns with khoya, as they come out super soft. Khoya is easily available at many Indian sweet stores or in the refrigerator/freezer section at Indian grocery stores.
You can also use dry milk powder to make gulab jamun. It is easily available in stores. This is the method that is used by the ready mixes such as MTR and Gits.
Making Gulab Jamun with ready mix: You can also get a ready mix such as Gits brand to make these. These ready mixes use the milk powder method.
One tip I learned from my mom to make the ones from the packet soft is to keep a mishri (crystallized sugar) or a raisin at the center when making the ball from the dough. This helps to keep them softer. I did not have to do this for the ones I have made below from scratch, and they were still very soft.
Gulab Jamun Ingredients
You just need a few main ingredients to make these perfect gulab jamuns. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Khoya (Mawa) or Milk Powder – You can find it at Indian grocery stores in the refrigerator or frozen section. You can also use milk powder to make gulab jamuns with the same recipe.
- All-purpose flour (Maida in Hindi) – It helps to bind the dough by forming gluten to keep the balls intact.
- Milk – Helps to keep the dough soft and pliable.
- Ghee – Used to add to the dough and for frying the gulab jamuns. You can use a neutral oil to fry the jamuns, but I highly recommend ghee for the best taste.
- Cardamom powder – Used for flavor and aroma.
- Baking powder – It helps to make the dough airy.
For the Syrup:
- Sugar – I use regular granulated sugar to make the syrup.
- Cardamom pods – Lightly crush the cardamom pods and add them when making the syrup.
- Saffron – This is optional, but I like to add it for the flavor and aroma.
- Rose Water – Adds an amazing aroma and flavor to the sugar syrup.
- Lime Juice – Helps to avoid crystals from forming in the sugar syrup.
As you can see from the ingredients, these gulab jamuns are not vegan or gluten-free.
How to make Gulab Jamun?
There are four main steps to make Gulab Jamun:
- Making the dough
- Making the sugar syrup
- Making the balls
- Frying the balls and soaking them in syrup.
Making the Gulab Jamun Dough
Let’s start with gathering the ingredients for the dough. I used refrigerated mawa from the Indian grocery store. If you have freshly available, it is even better.
- In a large bowl, grate or crumble the khoya (or add the milk powder). Add all-purpose flour (maida), baking powder, and cardamom powder to it. Mix it well.
- Now add ghee and mix again.
- Add milk a little at a time until the dough starts to form. You don’t want the dough to be too sticky; we just want enough milk for it to come together.
- Don’t over-mix the dough. You want it to be smooth and soft.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest for 30 mins.
Making Sugar Syrup for Gulab Jamun
While the dough is resting, let’s make the sugar syrup.
- In a bowl, add sugar, water, cardamom pods, and saffron.
- Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not overcook the syrup; we only want a sticky consistency.
- Add lemon juice and rose water and stir well. By adding lemon juice, sugar syrup doesn’t form crystals.
- The sugar syrup thickens as it cools, so it shouldn’t look too thick.
- You can remove the cardamom pods after the syrup has cooled a little and their flavor is infused.
Making Gulab Jamun Balls
While the syrup is boiling, let’s make the balls for Gulab Jamun.
- Grease your palms with some ghee. With your hands, knead the whole dough once.
- Make small balls from the dough. Do not apply too much pressure while making the balls. When rolling to balls, make sure the balls are smooth with no cracks, else they might break when frying. If there are any cracks, knead again and make balls without cracks.
- The balls will increase in size after frying & soaking in syrup. So you can make small balls (which also helps with portion control). I made each ball of about 20-25 grams and got 23 balls from the dough.
- Keep the balls covered with a damp cloth until ready to fry.
Frying Gulab Jamun Balls
Here is the traditional way – Fry gulab jamun in ghee for the real deal! You can fry them in oil to make them lighter. However, I very much prefer the taste of ghee (yes, spoiled by Mom!).
- Heat the ghee/oil well in a fry pan/wok to about 325°F (160°C). Gently add the dough balls to the ghee. Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches.
- Fry on medium-low heat. On high heat, they will get dark from the outside but will not be cooked well from the inside. Stir gently so they are golden brown on all sides.
- Remove them using a slotted spoon. Add them to the syrup while the syrup is warm (not boiling hot) so they soak in all the sweetness and become soft. If the syrup is too hot, the balls might break. If it is cold, then the balls will not soak the syrup well. Soak for at least 1 hour before enjoying. Soaking for up to 2-3 hours works great too.
Pro-Tips for Perfect Gulab Jamun
- Dough: It is important to knead the dough well and make it smooth. Add a little extra milk as needed when making the dough if it is not smooth. The final dough has to be soft and smooth without cracks.
- Dough Balls: Make smooth dough balls with no cracks. Use light hands, and don’t apply too much pressure when making the balls. Keep the balls covered with a damp cloth until ready to fry them.
- Frying: Make sure the ghee is heated to the right temperature. If the ghee is too hot, the gulab jamuns may get browned quickly but can be uncooked inside, and sometimes they can also break. If the ghee is not as hot, the jamuns will soak too much ghee.
Serving Gulab Jamun
We love Gulab Jamun’s served warm. You can also serve them at room temperature.
Add 2-3 jamuns to a small bowl. Top with 1-2 spoons of syrup in the bowl. Garnish with sliced pistachios or almonds.
You can also serve warm Gulab Jamun with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is not the traditional way of serving, but it is so delicious!
If you are serving the next day, just keep some in a bowl and microwave for a few seconds before serving. For two gulab jams, microwave for just 10 seconds. We don’t want them to burn your mouth.
You can refrigerate Gulab Jamun’s for up to a week.
Another way to serve gulab jamun is by using it in fusion desserts:
Common Questions
This can happen if:
1. Too much baking powder was added to the dough.
2. The dough balls had cracks, and the dough was not soft. Knead dough again to make balls without cracks.
3. The oil was too hot when frying the gulab jamun.
This can happen if:
1. The dough is too stiff or if it is over-kneaded.
2. The dough was pressed too hard when making the balls. You want to use soft hands while making the balls.
3. The balls were fried in high heat, which can make them hard on the outside and uncooked on the inside.
There are several reasons this can happen:
1. The dough was dry and had less moisture. Make sure the dough is well hydrated, and add enough milk.
2. Gulab jamuns were cooked at too high a temperature, making them undercooked from the inside. This can cause them to deflate as soon as they are added to the sugar syrup.
3. If the syrup is too hot, the fried gulab jamuns may shrink when added to it. The syrup should be around 100°F when the jamuns are added.
4. Sometimes, the gulab jamuns can deflate if too much leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda, is added to the dough.
Gulab Jamun is a rich, soft, and spongy dessert. These Indian dessert balls made with milk powder or mawa (milk solids) are melth-in-the-mouth delicious and sweet, dipped in sugar syrup. You will taste the deep sweetness of the syrup, the subtle floral notes of rose water, and the warm spice of cardamom, all infused in each bite of this heavenly dessert.
Give these delicious melt-in-the-mouth Gulab Jamuns a try, and do let me know how they turn out!
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Gulab Jamun
Video
Ingredients
For Gulab Jamun with Khoya
- 1 cup Khoya , finely grated or crumbled, about 3oz or 85 grams, or the same amount of Milk Powder
- 3 tablespoon Whole Milk, Warm, add a little at a time, and use more if needed.
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour (maida), 1 oz or 30 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
For Sugar syrup
- 1 cups Granulated Sugar, white refined
- 1 1/4 cups Water
- 2 pods Green Cardamom (Elaichi), crushed or 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 pinch Saffron (Kesar)
- 1 teaspoon Rose Water
- 1 teaspoon Lime juice
For Frying
- Ghee or Oil , for frying, I prefer ghee
For Garnish
- 1 tablespoon Almonds or Pistachios, sliced, to garnish
Instructions
Making the dough with Khoya
- In a large bowl, grate or crumble the khoya. Add all-purpose flour (maida), baking powder, and cardamom powder to it. Mix it well.
- Now add ghee and mix again. Add milk a little at a time until the dough starts to form. You don't want the dough to be sticky. We want enough milk for it to come together. Don't over-mix the dough. You want it to be smooth and soft.
- Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder Variation: I highly recommend measuring the ingredients by weight for this method. Add 1 cup (85 grams) of milk powder, 1/4 cup (30 grams) of all-purpose flour, baking powder, cardamom powder, and ghee. Mix well to make a crumbly mixture. Now, add milk a little at a time until the dough starts to form. I added 6 tablespoons of milk. We want enough milk for it to come together. You want the dough to be a little sticky at this time. Don't over-mix the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After the dough is rested, it will become smooth and soft.
Making sugar syrup for Gulab Jamun
- While the dough is resting, in a bowl, add sugar, water, cardamom pods, and saffron.
- Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not overcook the syrup. The sugar syrup thickens as it cools, so it shouldn’t look too thick.
- Add lemon juice and rose water and stir well. By adding lemon juice, sugar syrup doesn’t form crystals.
- Keep this syrup aside nearby. You need it warm right after frying the gulab jamuns.
Making Gulab Jamun balls
- Grease your palms with some ghee. With your hands, knead the whole dough once.
- Make small balls from the dough about 10 grams each. When rolling the balls, make sure the balls are smooth with no cracks, else they might break when frying. Squeeze the dough between your palms to make it smooth and crack-free. If there are cracks, add a few drops of milk to make it smooth.
- The balls will increase in size after frying & soaking in syrup. Make equal-sized balls, about 19, from this dough.
Frying and soaking the Gulab Jamun
- Heat the ghee/oil well in a fry pan/wok to about 325°F (160°C). Gently add the dough balls to the ghee. Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches.
- Fry on medium-low heat. On high heat, they will get dark from the outside but will not be cooked well from the inside. Stir gently so they are golden brown on all sides.
- Remove them using a slotted spoon. Hold them in the slotted spoon to remove extra oil for 5-10 seconds. Then add them to the syrup while the syrup is warm at around 100°F / 38°C temperature (not boiling hot) so they soak in all the sweetness and become soft. If the syrup is too hot, the balls might break or shrink. If it is cold, then the balls will not soak the syrup well. Soak for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. Soaking for up to 2-3 hours is even better.
- Gulab Jamun's are ready to be enjoyed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Optionally, garnish with slivered pistachios.
Notes
- Too much baking powder was added to the dough.
- The dough balls had cracks, and the dough was not soft. Knead dough again to make balls without cracks.
- The oil was too hot when frying the gulab jamun.
- The dough is too stiff or if it is over-kneaded.
- The dough was pressed too hard when making the balls. You want to use soft hands while making the balls.
- The balls were fried on high heat, which can make them hard from the outside and uncooked from the inside.
- The dough was dry and had less moisture. Make sure the dough is well hydrated, and add enough milk.
- Gulab jamuns were cooked at too high a temperature, making them undercooked from the inside. This can cause them to deflate as soon as they are added to the sugar syrup.
- If the syrup is too hot, the fried gulab jamuns may shrink when added to it. The syrup should be around 100°F when the jamuns are added.
- Sometimes, the gulab jamuns can deflate if too much leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda, is added to the dough.
We are trying to make this recipe and have done it twice (with Milk Powder) but it is just coming out hard. I don’t think we are over kneading the dough. Any other ideas?
Hi Julia – Sorry to hear the gulab jamun’s were not soft. Did they fry properly and just shrink when added to the syrup? I tested the recipe 3 times over the last couple of days, and I feel the measuring the ingredients by weight can make a big difference to the final results. I included the measurements and some tips in the steps to help with this when you make it next time.
loved this it was so amazing, I made it gluten free with arrow root a day cornflour. it was so soft and delicate, loved it! will make it again and again. thank you for sharing.
Hi Meghna- So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing back 🙂
Thank you for sharing the Recipe
Hi
I followed ur recipe as it had 2 cups khoya , usualy I follow my friends blog , this tym also I decided to follow them . But my mistake I mashed 2 cups khoya , all other websites have 1 cup khoya and rest of ingredients. I searched and searched at last found ur recipe . I was hesitant and sceptical to try it as it was new blog for me . …..! But I must say , ur recipe was a super duper hit . Made khoya gulab jamuns for diwali for first tym ( I always make readymade powder one 🙄) . The jamuns were melt in mouth and had amaze taste of khoya.. yummmmm.
Thank you so much , keep going wid ur passion. God bless 😊👍
Hi Chandana – So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing your experience 🙂
Followed step by step. Used nanak khoya. Jamoonn is very mushy
Hi Indrani – Sorry to hear the jamuns feel mushy. I would say, add some more all-purpose flour (maida about 1/2 cup) next time to get more firm gulab Jamuns. I hope you enjoyed the taste.
I followed the recipe to every detail but my gulab jamuns are mushy at the centre; even when I fried them on low heat. They taste good though.
Hi Shalini – Sorry to hear the Gulab Jamuns are mushy. You can add a little more all-purpose flour next time to get a more firm texture. I am glad you like the taste.
Khoya brand please, gonna buy first time for this recipe
Hi Divya – I have used Nanak brand khoya for this recipe. Hope you enjoy the Gulab Jamun.
Your recipe is amazing, i always follow you whenever i need to cook anything, I also made a step by step video of your recipe.
Hi Chirag – Happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes. I would request you to give credit to the recipe creator if you use their recipe to make a video.
https://harilalventures.in/collections/sweets
Gulab jamun is made from khoya and dried milk powder. It is one of the most loved Indian sweet, from other Indian sweets. Harlilal sells Gulab jamun in packed formed of 1 kg and 1/2kg. They also packed the sweets for the special occasion accordingly. It is one of the sweet which is used by the people for their special occasion. Like the wedding, birthday, festivals.