Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is the most popular Indian dessert. Gulab Jamuns 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 softest gulab jamuns 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 and melt-in-your-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.

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 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 put 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 also 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.
• Lemon Juice – Helps to avoid crystals from forming in the sugar syrup.

How to make Gulab Jamun?

There are four main steps to make Gulab Jamun:

1. Making the dough
2. Making the sugar syrup
3. Making the balls
4. 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 minutes.

Making Sugar Syrup for Gulab Jamun

While the dough is resting, let’s make the sugar syrup.

1. In a bowl, add sugar, water, cardamom pods, and saffron.

1. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for 7 minutes. Do not overcook the syrup; we only want a sticky consistency.
2. Add lemon juice and rose water and stir well. By adding lemon juice, the sugar syrup doesn’t form crystals.
3. The sugar syrup thickens as it cools, so it shouldn’t look too thick.
4. 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 boils, let’s make the gulab jamun balls.

1. Grease your palms with some ghee. With your hands, knead the whole dough once.
2. Make small balls from the dough. Do not apply too much pressure while making the balls. When rolling the balls, make sure the balls are smooth with no cracks; they might break when frying. If there are any cracks, knead again and make balls without cracks.
3. 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 about 10-12 grams and got 19 balls from the dough.
4. 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 frying 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 on the outside but won’t cook 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 it’s 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, the balls will not soak the syrup well. Soak for at least 1 hour before enjoying. Soaking for 2-3 hours also works great.

Serving Gulab Jamun

We love gulab jamuns 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. Garnish with sliced pistachios or almonds.

You can also serve warm gulab jamun with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This isn’t the traditional way to serve it, but it’s so delicious!

If you are serving them the next day, just keep some in a bowl and microwave for a few seconds before serving. For two gulab jamuns, microwave for just 10 seconds. We don’t want them to burn your mouth.

You can refrigerate gulab jamuns for up to a week.

Another way to serve gulab jamun is by using it in fusion desserts such as below:

Gulab Jamun Custard Jars

Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Bowls

Common Concerns

My gulab jamuns broke when frying or when added to the syrup

This can happen if:

1. You added too much baking powder to the dough.
2. The dough balls had cracks, and the dough was not soft. Knead the dough again to make balls without cracks.
3. The oil was too hot when frying the gulab jamun.

My Gulab Jamuns are too hard

This can happen if:

1. The dough is too stiff or over-kneaded.
2. The dough was pressed too hard when making the balls. Use soft hands while making the balls.
3. The balls were fried over high heat, which can make them hard on the outside and undercooked inside.

Why did my gulab jamuns deflate or shrink when added to sugar syrup?

There are several reasons this can happen:

1. The dough was dry and had less moisture. Make sure the dough is well hydrated by adding enough milk. 
2. Gulab jamuns were cooked at too high a temperature, leaving them undercooked 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, gulab jamuns can deflate if too much leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda, is added to the dough.  

Give these delicious melt-in-the-mouth Gulab Jamuns a try, and do let me know how they turn out!

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