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Gulab Jamun is a popular dessert in Western Asia, made from fried dough balls dipped in sweet syrup scented with rosewater. It’s traditionally served on Diwali, but can be enjoyed year-round. The dough is made from milk, flour, ghee, and optional additives. The syrup is made from sugar and water, flavored with rose water, saffron, citrus juice, or cardamom. Gulab Jamun is related to similar desserts around the world, such as American donut holes, Greek loukoumas, and Chinese Che xoi nuroc. It’s best served as a casual dessert and can be part of an Indian meal or a Diwali celebration.
Gulab Jamun is a popular dessert in Western Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This fried treat is usually dipped in a sweet syrup that is often scented with rosewater. Gulab Jamun is traditionally served on the Indian festival Diwali but is a delicious end to an Indian meal any time of the year.
Gulab Jamun dough is made from dry and regular milk, flour, ghee or ghee, and optional additives such as raisins, pistachios, and cardamom powder. Because it’s not a yeast bread, it doesn’t need time to rise, although some recipes recommend letting the dough rest for about twenty minutes before frying. Frying should be done in corn or canola oil, or alternatively in ghee.
The dough is divided into balls and fried over low heat. While frying, Gulab Jamun balls will double in size, just like donuts. After 10-15 minutes, the dough becomes darker and must be removed and immediately added to the prepared syrup. Some recipes suggest lightly mashing the fried dough after adding it to the syrup, to make it more absorbent.
To make the fried dough syrup, combine three parts water and two parts sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, you will have simple sugar syrup. The flavor of the syrup varies by region. Most Indian recipes use rose water, which is available in some specialty food stores. Other regions use saffron, citrus juice or cardamom to flavor the syrup.
Gulab jamun can be kept overnight to absorb a large amount of syrup, but some noodle recipes may not be able to withstand that much liquid and may dissolve. The dessert can be served hot or cold, with extra syrup on top. A portion of the dessert is usually three or four pieces.
On Diwali, India’s festival of lights, Gulab Jamun is one of many traditional desserts. People gather to set off fireworks and crackers, and many cities hold carnivals or fairs in honor of the holiday. Although a packaged mix is sold in many Indian grocery stores, a large number of people opt to make the dessert from scratch in honor of Diwali.
Indian dessert is related to fried dough sweets all over the world. American donut holes are similar, though often coated in powdered sugar rather than soaked in syrup. Another West Asian variation is Zauq-e-Shahi, in which the dough is filled with pistachios and couscous and is topped with cream and honey. In Greece, a similar dish is called loukoumas and is flavored with cloves and cinnamon. Gulab Jamun is also thought to be related to the Chinese and Vietnamese dish Che xoi nuroc, a paste of green bean and rice flour fried and served with a ginger syrup.
If you’re serving an Indian meal for guests, there are many authentic desserts to choose from, including rice pudding kheer and saffron ice cream kulfi. Gulab Jamun serves best as a casual dessert, as it is a bit sticky. Try serving it as part of an Indian barbecue or al fresco dinner, or plan your own Diwali celebration in October or November.
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