Popular at religious holidays such as Eid in Pakistan and Holi in India, this gulab jamun also graces many a wedding dessert table in South Asia. This delightful version of Pakistani donuts is at par with other popular South Asian desserts such as Quick Kulfi, milk barfi, sooji ka halwa, mango kulfi, Zarda recipe, and vermicelli kheer.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Famous recipe - This recipe is so popular that there’s actually an entire day devoted to it! October 10th is world gulab jamun day! Delicious dessert - You won’t be able to stop eating these! The fried round balls of dough coated in the infused sugar syrup just melt in your mouth! Easy recipe - The 3 ingredients dough and the sugar syrup come together in very little time! It’s a great make-ahead option - This is a super freezer-friendly dessert so you can make it ahead of time and then just warm it before serving.
The Ingredients
Bisquick mix - I’ve always made this recipe with Bisquick as that was the way this recipe was taught to me. While using a different brand of pancake mix is possible, it may lead to slightly different results. Heavy whipping cream - This is essential not only for binding the dry powders and creating a dough but the fat is essential in order to get the slightly dense texture gulab jamun call for. Nonfat milk powder - Nonfat milk powder takes the place of traditional milk solids in this recipe.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Substitutes & Variations
Swap out the garnish - Garnish them with some chopped pistachios, silver leaf, or rose petals, depending on the occasion or your mood. Add some Rose Syrup - Gulab literally means rose water and this dessert traditionally has rose essence in them. I usually stick to saffron and cardamom but you can definitely add a few drops of the essence in later. Add a topping - Want to make your dessert truly decadent? Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Use ghee -Traditionally, all Pakistani sweets are cooked in Ghee, such as, pumpkin halwa and carrot halwa. Since you’ll need a lot of ghee for this recipe, this can get very expensive. For a truly traditional taste, however, you can mix some ghee with a high smoke point oil.
Step-by-step instructions
This recipe with Bisquick Pancake Mix is a simpler version of the authentic Milk Powder recipe! The pancake mix contains everything you would measure and add separately, such as the all-purpose flour, fat, leavening, and salt.
Expert Tips
Making the perfect Gulab Jamun takes patience and practice. The following tips may help you along the way!
Don’t overwork the dough - it leads to gluten formation and results in hard jamun. If the dough seems too sticky don’t worry, it will smooth out as you shape the balls. Test the sugar syrup - If the syrup is too thick your tiny fried sweets won’t absorb it and if it’s too thin it can make them break. The way to test the consistency is to place a teaspoon of the hot syrup on a small plate. This allows it to cool a little so you don’t burn your fingers. After about 10 seconds dip your forefinger in the syrup. Press the finger against your thumb and test to see if the syrup is sticky. It does not need to form a thread but just be sticky! Make sure your syrup is warm - The syrup needs to be warm when the fried dough balls are added to it in order for the fried dough balls to absorb the sweet liquid properly. Soak for about 15-20 minutes before removing from the syrup.
Other Pakistani desserts you may enjoy
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
