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Showing posts with label DESSERTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DESSERTS. Show all posts

November 25, 2016

Eggless Honey Cake Recipe – Indian Bakery Style Honey Cake With Video

Eggless honey cake recipe
Eggless honey cake recipe with step by step and video. Honey cake reminds our childhood days for most of us. Yes, when we were kids many of us would have tasted this cake from our local Indian bakery. The taste of this soft, juicy, moist, honey drenched sponge cake is still lingering in our tongue.

 Whenever I visit Iyengar bakery here in Bangalore, I never forget to buy their popular stuffs like Khara bun, Benne biscuit, Baked Nippattu etc. Recent days I started buying few pieces honey cake as well. Raksha is not a big fan of this cake due to the extra sweetness from honey and fruit jam. But myself and Sendhil enjoy & love this cake a lot. 

Recently many of our fellow bloggers are sharing their versions of eggless honey cake which  tempted me very badly to try at home.Yesterday morning I got determined to try this honey cake without eggs and followed THIS RECIPE which I had bookmarked already. Actually I wanted to follow my eggless, butter less tutti frutti cake recipe for the base of this cake. But then I thought of trying the sponge cake base using condensed milk and butter so that I can learn another eggless, moist sponge cake recipe. 

Cake came out porous, pillow soft, fluffy with spongy texture as I wished. I could really feel the taste of Iyengar bakery honey cake when I tasted a piece of this cake. I am completely happy with this recipe. Even Raksha liked it very much and taken for her snack box today. You can try this cake in pressure cooker as well. I will try to share a detailed recipe for eggless pressure cooker cake. 

Friends, do try this easy, delicious cake for special occasions like birthday and anniversary. I am sure you will get perfect result and enjoy with your family. Now lets see how to make Indian bakery style eggless honey cake recipe with step by step pictures and VIDEO !

If you are looking for an eggless sponge cake recipe without condensed milk and butter,  do check out this recipe. For eggless orange cake recipe using cooking oil, please check this link.



Eggless honey cake

Eggless Honey Cake Recipe - Indian Bakery style recipe


Eggless Honey Cake Recipe - Indian Bakery style recipe How to make Indian bakery style honey cake recipe without eggs.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Cakes
Serves: 9 
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 35 Minutes
Total time: 45 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

  • All purpose flour / Maida - 1. 25 cups / 1 1/4 cup
  • Corn flour - 1/4 cup
  • Baking powder - 1.5 tsp
  • Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
  • Butter - 1/2 cup (Soft at room temperature, do not melt)
  • Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
  • Boiled milk - 3/4 cup ( at room temperature)
  • Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
  • Vinegar or lemon juice - 1 tbsp
For honey syrup
  • Honey - 1/4 cup
  • Sugar - 2 tbsp
  • Water - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
  • Rose essence - 1/2 tsp
*Increase the quantity of ingredients for honey syrup if you like more sweet and juicy cake.
For sauce
  • Mixed fruit jam - 3 tbsp ( I used Kissan )
  • Sugar - 2 tsp
Dessicated coconut powder - to garnish the cake
HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS HONEY CAKE - METHOD

  • In a dry bowl, sieve maida, corn flour, baking powder and baking soda . Keep it aside.
    Eggless honey cake recipe
  • In another bowl, take the butter at room temperature ( Do not melt) and add the condensed milk. Beat it well till it becomes smooth and creamy. It takes 2-3 minutes.So beat it patiently. To this, add vanilla essence and vinegar. Just Mix well. Do not beat. 
    Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Add the sieved maida mixture to the creamy butter mixture little by little ( say 1/2 cup), Simultaneously add boiled milk at room temperature little by little (say 1/4 cup). Use a spatula and fold the cake mixture. Never beat or mix vigorously. Do it gently. When all the flour and milk is over, check the batter consistency. It should not be too thick or thin like falling ribbon. It resembles creamy paste. So don’t panic.
    Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Grease a baking pan ( use square pan ) with butter and dust with maida all over the pan. Pat the excess flour. Add the cake batter to the baking pan and level it. Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Preheat the oven in convection mode at 180c. Place the baking tray inside the oven and bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes. Original recipe mentioned to bake for 25 minutes whereas mine took nearly 35 minutes as I added more milk. So keep an eye after 20 minutes and check with the knife as explained in the next step. Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Insert a knife and check if it comes out clean. If the knife comes with uncooked batter, bake for 2-3 minutes more. Again check it. Bake the cake till the inserted knife comes out clean or with crumbs. Remove the baking tray and let it rest for 15 minutes. Run a knife along the sides and invert the cake in a plate. 
  • Cake will come out easily if its properly cooked. You can trim the brown part of cake on the sides if you wish. But I din't remove it. Now prick the cake with a fork for the sugar syrup to spread inside the cake. Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Now make the honey syrup and fruit sauce. For this, take a small kadai. Add sugar, water and boil till sugar dissolves completely. After the sugar is melted, switch off the flame. Add rose essence, honey after the sugar syrup becomes warm. Mix well and keep aside. Pour this honey syrup all over the cake. As soon as you pour, cake will absorb all the syrup.  ( You can increase the quantity of honey if you like the cake to be more juicy and sweet)
  • Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Eggless honey cake recipe
  • In another kadai, take the jam and sugar. Mix well and melt in medium flame till the jam becomes thin. Switch off the flame and immediately apply the sauce all over the cake. If the melted jam cools down. it will start to solidify. In that case, you can heat and melt the jam again to coat over the cake. Atlast sprinkle the dessicated coconut powder for garnishing and cut into pieces.
    Eggless honey cake recipe
    Eggless honey cake recipe
  • Enjoy !
    • The outer layer/ crust of cake will dry if you leave it open for long time. So keep it covered in an air tight box till use. If you want to prepare this cake in advance, you can do it one day before and refrigerate the cake in a box. You should bring it to room temperature before serving.

Note
  • The outer layer/crust of cake will dry if you leave it open for long time. So keep it covered in an air tight box till use. If you want to prepare this cake in advance, you can do it one day before and refrigerate the cake in a box. You should bring it to room temperature before serving.
  • Do not beat the batter while adding milk. Fold the batter gently.
  • The base of this cake is not so sweet. So if you apply sugar syrup and jam sauce, sweetness will become perfect.
  • Do not more milk and make the batter thin. It takes longer time to cook.
  • Keep an eye after 20 minutes and check with the knife. Keep checking like this for every 3 minutes. Remove only after the knife comes out clean.
  • Original recipe told to bake for 25 minutes whereas mine took nearly 35 minutes.So baking time may slightly vary as per the oven temperature.
  • Do not invert or remove the cake when its hot. It will break. Invert the cake only after it cools down.
Eggless honey cake recipe

Enjoy this juicy, soft honey cake for special occasions. Have a great, sweet filled celebration.
Honey cake recipe without eggs
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November 17, 2016

Carrot Kheer Recipe – Easy Carrot Payasam Recipe

Carrot kheer recipe
Every Thursday and Friday I do Guru Pooja and Vaibhava Lakshmi Pooja at home. So every week I make one or the other neivedyam recipes like Sweet pongal/ Sakkarai pongal, Payasam varieties or sweet appam to offer God. Sometimes I make Rava Kesari or other sweets as well. This week, I prepared carrot Kheer ( Carrot Payasam in Tamil, Gajar Ka Kheer in Hindi) for a change. Long back I had tasted carrot kheer in my Aunty’s house( Chithi). She served it chilled after lunch. I just loved its color and creamy texture. I asked her for the recipe and noted down in my diary. As I had more carrots in my pantry, I tried this today for my pooja. It came out very tasty and rich. We all loved it a lot. My daughter Raksha became a big fan of this dessert recipe and asked me to make it often. Carrot kheer is one of the best ways to include carrots in our kids diet. To made this kheer rich and creamy, I added cashews and condensed milk. But you can skip them if you don’t have it.To make Kerala style carrot payasam, add coconut milk instead of condensed milk. Carrot, Sugar, Milk and cardamom powder are the most important ingredients to make this yummy, easy Indian style dessert recipe in minutes. Its a crowd pleaser as well. So you can prepare this for small family functions or birthday parties. I am sure everyone will enjoy it.  Lets see how to make this simple and yummy carrot kheer / carrot payasam recipe with step by step pictures and a video !


Carrot kheer recipe

Carrot Kheer / Carrot Payasam Recipe


Carrot Kheer / Carrot Payasam Recipe How to make carrot kheer - Easy Indian Dessert Recipe
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Dessert Recipes
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 25 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Grated carrot - 1 cup OR Small sized carrot - 2 nos
  • Boiled milk - 2.5 cups ( Use full fat milk for best taste)
  • Sugar - 4 tbsp
  • Condensed milk - 2 tbsp
  • Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Cashew nuts - 5 nos + 2 nos to roast
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp
METHOD

  • Wash and Peel the skin of carrot. Grate it using a fine grater and set aside.
    Carrot kheer recipe
  • In a kadai, melt ghee and roast broken cashews. Remove in a plate when its golden brown. Now add the grated carrot and saute till its raw smell goes off and its color changes to pale orange.
    Carrot kheer recipe
    Carrot kheer recipe
  • Add milk in the kadai and let it boil for few minutes. In the mean time, grind carrot along with cashews. Grind to a smooth thick paste adding enough water. I used 1/2 cup of milk to grind the carrot.So my paste became pale yellow after grinding. If you want orange shade for your kheer, use water instead of milk.
    Carrot kheer recipe
  • Add this paste to the boiling milk.Mix well and boil for 2-3 minutes in medium flame. Add sugar and condensed milk, Mix well and boil till sugar dissolves.Check for taste and add more sugar if needed. Lastly add the cardamom powder/ cardamom essence and switch off the flame. Add the roasted cashews. Mix well. If you like it thin, add more boiled milk, some sugar. Mix well, Refrigerate for an hour to serve chilled. Serve warm or chilled as you like.
    Carrot kheer recipe
    Carrot kheer
Enjoy !

Note
  • You can skip condensed milk in this recipe. In that case, you have to add more sugar.
  • You can also use de skinned almonds instead of cashew nuts.
  • Do not forget to add cardamom powder.It helps to suppress the raw smell of carrot.
  • Sauting carrot in ghee helps to remove its raw smell.
  • This kheer will thicken over time. So add more boiled milk if you like it watery.
  • If you add jaggery, kheer may curdle because of milk. So use water and coconut milk if using jaggery.

Enjoy this easy, creamy, rich carrot kheer at home for special occasions !
Carrot payasam recipe
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October 27, 2016

Gulab Jamun Recipe With Instant Mix – How To Make Gulab Jamun With MTR Mix

Gulab jamun with instant mix
Gulab jamun using instant MTR readymade mix - step by step recipe and video. Diwali celebration is incomplete without these yummy Gulab jamun. Its an universally loved Indian dessert recipe. In most of the Indian households, Gulab jamun recipe will be in the Diwali sweets menu for sure. Many people make it as the last minute sweet for Diwali and other special occasions like birthday, anniversary, New year celebration and even for Valentine’s day.

Most of us opt for Gulab jamun recipe using readymade, store bought Instant mix as its easy and quick to make, cheap in price compared to other sweets in shops. Even though the ingredients used in the gulab jamun mix are the same, there are many brands available in the market with their own variations & style. Some of the most popular ones are MTR, GITS, Aachi, Bambino and Orkay. Recently my reader friend Harini requested me to share Gulab jamun recipe using MTR jamun mix.

So I bought a pack of jamun mix in buy one get one offer and tried it yesterday by getting some inputs from my friends Tara, Megha and Swarna. They make Gulab jamun using readymade mix very often. So they shared some useful tips to make soft, smooth gulab jamun without breaking and cracks. I watched this YouTube video tutorial as well. I followed the steps carefully and the result was awesome, perfect !! I was elated to see my soft, Gundu Gundu gulab jamun and jumped out of joy.

Raksha and Sendhil relished this yummy dessert recipe with ice cream. Most of you may think, making gulab jamun using instant mix is not a big deal or rocket science. Yes, its true. But beginners may face some difficulties to prepare a perfect Gulab jamun. So this post is explicitly for them. Even bachelors can also give a try. Experts, please excuse me and do share your  favorite jamun mix along with some tips if any. Lets see how to make Gulab jamun recipe with MTR instant mix at home with step by step photos and a video tutorial !

Gulab jamun recipe with mtr mix

Gulab jamun recipe with instant mix


Gulab jamun recipe with instant mix How to make Gulab jamun using readymade, Instant, store bought mix
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: 20 nos
Prep time: 45 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 60 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Gulab jamun mix - 150gms/ 1.5 cups
  • Boiled Milk at room temperature - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp ( + 1 tsp)
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry
For sugar syrup
  • Sugar - 3 cups
  • Water - 3 cups
  • Cardamom powder or rose essence - 1 tsp
  • Saffron threads – few
  • Chopped nuts – to garnish

Please watch this video for clear understanding !

METHOD

  • Read the instructions given on the pack. In MTR mix, its mentioned to add 1 part of water for 4 parts of mix. 400gms of sugar for 150 gms mix packet. So i followed the recipe accordingly.
  •  Take sugar and water in a wide bowl and mix well. Keep aside, let it dissolve. In the mean time, take the gulab jamun mix in a wide plate. I used my thambalam/ big round plate. Usually I make chapati dough and other dough in my thambalam as its spacious and convenient to mix well. If the mix has more lumps, sieve it once.  Break the lumps with your fingers while sieving. Do not discard the residue. Add it to the mix again. I got around 1.5 cups of  powder.
  • If you are using ORKAY mix, do not sieve the mix. Just break the lumps using your hands.
    Gulab jamun recipe with mix
  • Now add the milk little by little and gather all the flour with your fingers. The mixture will become wet and very sticky. Do not worry. Gulab jamun will come out soft if the dough is sticky. I used 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp milk. So add milk carefully at the end. If you add more milk, jamun will flatten and break. Do not knead the dough using your palm. Mixing should be done only with your fingers. Cover the dough with a plate or invert a bowl. Let it rest for 15 minutes to 1 hour.

  • In the mean time, heat sugar + water and melt it. Add saffron threads, cardamom or rose essence. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes in medium flame till the syrup turns slightly sticky to touch, glossy & resembles oil in consistency. Keep aside. Let the syrup becomes warm.
    Gulab jamun recipe with mtr mix
  • After 30 minutes, take the dough.It will be soft to touch.Do not knead it. Grease your palm with ghee. Make a big gooseberry sized ball by rolling the dough between your palm. Give gentle pressure and roll it continuously for 30 seconds to make it smooth and crack free. As the dough is sticky, jamun balls will not get cracks. If you feel there are cracks, just roll it tight. Cracks will disappear. I made around 20 balls.
    Gulab jamun recipe with mix
  • Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , put a pinch of dough in the oil. If it rises to the top slowly, oil heat is perfect. Now stir the oil with a ladle in the corners. When the oil starts to rotate, drop the jamun balls. I cooked 4 per batch. Stir the oil continuously without touching the gulab jamun. You will find jamun rotate with oil and turns bigger in size. The color of jamun balls change slowly and it cooks uniformly. 
  • Once it turns golden brown, remove it in a tissue paper. Do not fry for long time. Jamun will become hard and it will not absorb the syrup. After frying, open & check if its cooked well. Leave the cooked jamun for 2-3 minutes in tissue paper and then drop in the sugar syrup. ( If you feel difficult to stir the oil, just keep the flame low, add the balls, flip every now and then till jamun turns golden. Then remove it)
    Gulab jamun recipe with mix
  • If the sugar syrup becomes cold, heat till it becomes medium hot. i.e vapor should start to come from the syrup slightly. Deep fry all the balls in batches, drain in the tissue and drop in the syrup. Let the balls soak in syrup for minimum 3-4 hours. It will soak well and double in size. Remove and serve in a bowl. Transfer the gulab jamun to a tight box and store it for days.No need to refrigerate.
    Gulab jamun recipe with mix
Enjoy !
Tips
  • Adding milk for making the dough helps to give soft jamun. You can use water as well. My friend Swarna adds just a tsp of milk in the beginning and add then water to make the dough. You can try this too. 
  • Dough should be really sticky to get soft Gulab jamun. If you have added more milk by mistake, don’t panic. Just cover the dough with a lid and let it rest for an hour.Grease your hands and make smooth balls. If it comes out without cracks, then proceed and deep fry only one ball for a trial. If it disperses in oil, then add a tsp of maida, mix well and make another ball. Test it and proceed further.  But adding more milk flatten the jamun. So please be careful while adding milk.
  • Jamun balls should be crack free. Roll it for 30 seconds continuously. This helps to seal the cracks while rolling. Do not press it too hard while rolling, but give gentle pressure.
  • Deep fry the balls only at low temperature else balls will get browned quickly without cooking inside.
  • Gulab jamun balls will disperse in oil  or cracks more if the oil temperature is too low. So Check the temperature before you drop the balls.
  • Similarly cracks will form if the jamun balls become dry. So keep it covered all the time till you finish the procedure.
  • Sugar syrup should not be too hot while you drop the jamun. It should be medium hot or warm. Similarly Gulab jamun should not be too cold. 
  • Gulab jamun will flatten if you add more milk. It will also flatten if the sugar syrup is less. Make sure the sugar syrup is enough for all the balls to absorb and dunk in completely.
  • If the quantity of sugar syrup is less, then jamun will not turn soft and double in size.
Gulab jamun with readymade mtr mix
Try this delicious, yummy cute Gulab Jamun recipe for your Family and have a great Diwali Celebration.
Wish you all a very happy and safe Diwali !!
Gulab jamun using instant mix
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October 18, 2016

Rasmalai Recipe With Readymade Rasgulla – How To Make Instant Rasmalai Under 10 Minutes

Rasmalai with readymade rasgulla
Every year during Diwali, I wanted to share some Bengali sweets.This year too, I tried Rasgolla recipe at home but it din’t turn up as I expectedWorried. It came out soft, spongy but became little bit flat after taking out from the sugar syrup. So I am planning to try it again by correcting my mistakes. I hope I could make a perfect rasgolla very soon and share it in my spaceWaiting. As I had storebought, readymade rasgulla at home, I wanted to make a rich dessert recipe with it. What else other than this yummy rasmalai recipeCool. Traditional, authentic rasmalai calls for boiling milk & sugar for hours. But this is an easy, instant recipe with just 2 major ingredients. I had some store bought condensed milk and rasagulla in hand. So I made it quickly under 10 minutes. If you have store bought or homemade left over rasagolla, you can make this rich, creamy, yummilicious Indian dessert with milk in the next few minutes. I guess milk powder also works well instead of condensed milk. Friends, Do include this easy sweet recipe in your Diwali 2016 menu and have a great celebration ! Lets see how to make this easy peasy Bengali delicacy, Rasmalai recipe at home with step by step photos !
If you wish to make condensed milk on your own, check out this link.

Also check out my 15 Easy Diwali Sweets for beginners !


Instant rasmalai recipe

Easy Rasmalai Recipe


Easy Rasmalai Recipe Easy rasamali recipe under 10 minutes using milk, readymade rasgulla, condensed milk, nuts and saffron ! - Rich Indian Dessert recipe.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Dessert recipes
Serves: Serves 5
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 10 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Homemade or store bought Rasgolla - 5-6 nos
  • Boiled full cream milk - 2 cups ( Use full fat milk)
  • Condensed milk - 1/2 cup
  • Chopped nuts - A handful  ( I used cashews, badam and pista)
  • Kewra essence - few drops (optional)
  • Crushed cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp or Rose water - few drops
  • Saffron threads - Few
METHOD

  • In a wide mouthed kadai, take the boiled milk and condensed milk.Mix well and boil for 5 minutes. Keep the flame medium. Collect the milk skin( Malai) that settles in the sides of kadai and add to milk.Now check for taste and add more condensed milk if needed. Mix well and boil for a minute.In the mean time, chop the nuts and set aside.
    Easy rasmalai recipe
  • Add the chopped nuts, few saffron threads, essence & cardamom powder/ rose water. Stir well and switch off the flame. Take the rasgolla and press it gently using your hands to drain the water in it.Do not squeeze hard, it may break. Make it flat and add to the milk mixture. Refrigerate for an hour and serve ! Quick and Easy rasmalai is ready to indulge !!
    Easy rasmalai recipe
    Easy rasmalai recipe
        Easy rasmalai recipe
Enjoy….

Note
  • Add more condensed milk if you have sweet tooth.
  • Add more or lesser quantity of nuts as per your wish.
  • If you don’t have condensed milk in hand, boil 2.5 cups of milk till it reduces to half, add the required sugar, mix well and add the essence and nuts. This is the authentic version of making rasmalai.

Try this Instant, Easy Rasmalai recipe at home and enjoy !!
Instant rasmalai recipe
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October 13, 2016

Gulab Jamun Recipe With Milk Powder

Last year I shared Gulab jamun recipe with khoya. As it came out very well, I got the confidence to try Gulab jamun with other options. Khoya is not easily available in many places. So Milk powder is the best replacement for khoya to prepare Gulab jamun. 

Recently my reader friend Harini asked me to share milk powder gulab jamun recipe and Gulab jamun with Instant store bought mix as well. As I had bookmarked this recipe already, I tried it yesterday. Milk powder, Fine semolina ( Chiroti rava), maida, milk are the major ingredients used in this recipe. Its easy to make too. It came out really well in my first attempt itself. 

The author of this recipe had given the instructions very clearly which helped me a lot to make perfect Gulab jamun. Thank you so much Savita for the great recipe. I was very happy to see my soft, crack free, well soaked Gulab jamun in sugar syrup. I don’t say it doubled in size but it did puff up. I have shared step by step photos, tips for trouble shooting and a cooking video for beginners understanding. Hope you will try it for this Diwali and share your feedback with me. Lets see how to make yummy Gulab jamun recipe with milk powder & semolina.

Check out my Gulab Jamun with khoya and Jamun Kofta gravy recipes too !

Gulab Jamun With Milk Powder


Gulab Jamun With Milk Powder How to make gulab jamun with milk powder & semolina
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: 20 - 25 nos
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
For Gulab jamun dough : 1 cup - 250 ml
  • Milk Powder - 1 cup ( I used Everyday brand)
  • All Purpose flour - 1 tbsp
  • Fine Semolina / Chiroti Rava - 1 tbsp ( Must use fine rava)
  • Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Unmelted Ghee - 1 tbsp ( thick ghee)
  • Cooking oil - 1/2 tbsp ( Use flavorless oil)
  • Milk - As needed ( I used 1 tbsp)
  • Water - 1.5 tbsp ( To soak semolina)
  • Cooking oil – To deep fry
For Sugar syrup
  • Sugar - 1 cup
  • Water - 1.5 cups
  • Saffron threads - few
  • Crushed Cardamom seeds - 2 nos Or Rose essence - few drops
METHOD

  • Take the fine semolina ( Chiroti rava) in a small bowl and add 1.5 tbsp water to cover it. Let it soak well for 10 minutes. No problem if there is excess water slightly. Mix well and keep it aside. In a wide bowl, take the milk powder.Add ghee and cooking oil. Mix well with your fingers. Make sure fat is well distributed with the milk powder.

  • To this mixture, add baking powder, maida and soaked semolina. Mix well with your fingers. Do not give too much pressure. Just mix gently. Now the mixture will resemble Pea sized granules. Then add boiled, room temperature milk little by little and try to gather the mixture to resemble a dough. Do not use your palm and knead it. Use your fingers alone(  I added 1 tbsp milk). Dough would be very sticky at this stage. Do not panic. Just cover the dough with a cloth ( Dry cloth, not wet ones) and rest it for 10 minutes.

  • In a mean time, lets prepare the sugar syrup.In a deep bowl or kadai, mix sugar + water. Mix well in high flame till sugar melts completely. Then reduce the flame to medium and let the syrup roll boil for 5 minutes. Add cardamom powder or rose essence and saffron thread in the middle. Sugar syrup will become sticky to touch and resembles oil in consistency. Switch off the flame and keep aside. It will become warm.

  • Now take the gulab jamun dough. It would be non-sticky to touch. Make small pinches roughly to make balls. Then shape the balls smoothly without cracks( This point is more important to get crack free gulab jamuns) Cover it with a cloth till use.
  • If you think, dough sticks much to your hand, grease your palm with ghee OR wash your hands in water, wipe it dry and roll it. It will come out well. Just make sure there are no cracks. Do not roll it tightly. Do it gently. If you roll it too tight, jamuns may become hard.
  • Heat oil in a kadai and keep the flame low to medium. When it gets heated, drop a pinch of dough, it should rise slowly and come to top without browning in a count of 5 ( I followed Savita’s instructions and counted up to 5. If the heat of oil is too less, gulab jamun will disperse in oil. If the temperature is high, its color would change quickly but it remains uncooked inside.So please be careful) Now stir the oil once and add the jamun balls. ( If you are a beginner, do a small test. i.e Heat little oil in a mini tadka pan and drop a small peanut sized dough ball. Check whether it disperses in oil, comes out hard etc. Deep fry it, open and check it is properly cooked. After doing this test, proceed for further deep frying) .Do not disturb the jamun for 10 seconds. Then stir the oil without breaking the jamun. Keep stirring the oil  and toss the gulab jamun so that it will get cooked evenly with a nice golden color. Keep the flame low to medium. It should be soft after frying and not too hard. Please refer the video for better understanding.
  • Remove the cooked gulab jamun in a tissue paper and drop it in the syrup. Syrup should be warm not too cold. Let it soak for 2-3 hours to enjoy its best taste ! It looks shiny and soft after soaking well. This Gulab jamun stays good for 2 days without refrigeration. Enjoy !

Note
  • Gulab jamun will disperse in oil if the oil temperature is too low.
  • Gulab Jamun will become chewy if you add less baking powder.
  • No need to add soda for this recipe.
  • Fine semolina is a must. Do not use coarse ones.
  • Beginners try with half the quantity of ingredients mentioned to avoid wastage.
  • I have not used lemon juice in the sugar syrup as I have added more water. It won’t crystallize.
  • If  you have leftover fried gulab jamun, try this Jamun Kofta gravy
Try this easy, yummy Gulab jamun at home for special occasions and enjoy !
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