Gulab Jamun Recipe Khoya Gulab Jamun

Making Gulab Jamuns at home requires a lot of time and patience. But the homemade ones are just divine. There are unprecedented joy and satisfaction in making a favorite family sweet from scratch. The smile these sweets bring on the faces of loved ones and the pleasure of sharing a bowl full of homemade goodness with friends is exquisite. That is the only reason, every year around the festive season, I make a large batch of khoya gulab jamun. And every time I fall in love with this gulab jamun recipe again.

My Tried & True Tips

Correct measurement: When adding ingredients to prepare the dough, ensure they are correctly measured. An approximate or vague quantity of ingredients never yields the right result. Hence, use measuring cups and spoons for the purpose. Kneading the dough: The dough has to be smooth, non-sticky, and 100% lump-free. That is why a kneading of 10 – 15 minutes using the palm’s pressure is required to form a perfect dough. There aren’t any shortcuts to this process. Handling the dough: Due to the heat of the palm and hot/humid weather, the dough might become too sticky. Do not panic. After kneading, keep it in the fridge for 10 – 15 minutes. Later, wash your hands with cold water and grease your palms with ghee (clarified butter) to shape the balls. This trick has always worked for me. Slow frying: For perfect color and even cooking, the khoya balls are always fried at low to medium heat. Keep turning them regularly while frying for even browning. The balls fried at high temperatures turn dark brown and uncooked from the inside. So it is essential to moderate the heat while frying the gulab jamuns. Sugar Syrup: The thread consistency of sugar syrup is not required. Once the syrup has stickiness and thickens, turn off the heat. But remember, the sugar syrup becomes thicker once it cools down. So adjust the consistency initially accordingly. The aromatics like cardamom powder, saffron, or kewra essence are added to enhance the flavor of the syrup and give it a rich taste. It has nothing to do with the consistency or texture of the syrup. Soaking is one of the key steps in making mouth-melting gulab jamuns. Ensure the khoya balls are warm but not piping hot while adding sugar syrup. And the syrup also has to be simmering. After adding khoya balls, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and allow the gulab jamuns to sit in sugar syrup for at least 1 – 2 hours. I usually do this process 2 – 3 hours before serving time. Just before serving, heat the sweet in a microwave for 2 – 5 minutes.