Suji Gulab Jamun
Suji Gulab Jamun is a delightful variation of the traditional Indian sweet, made using semolina (suji) instead of khoya or milk powder. Soft and spongy balls are prepared from a suji and milk mixture, deep-fried until golden, and soaked in aromatic sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and rose water. This easy and unique recipe offers a quick fix for festive occasions or sweet cravings.
Ingredients
For Syrup
- Sugar – 4 cups
- Water – 2cups
- Kesar (saffron strands) – a pinch
- Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
- Lemon – ½ no
- Water – ¾ cup
For Dough
- Milk – 2cups/ 500ml
- Rose water (optional) – 1tbsp
- Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
- Suji (semolina, fine grain) – 1 cup/175gms
- Ghee – 2 tbsp
- Cooking Oil/Ghee for frying
- Pista chopped – handful
Extra shots – Sweet Rice using leftover sugar syrup
- Ghee – 2 tbsp
- Almond chopped – 2tbsp
- Cashew nut chopped – 2 tbsp
- Raisin – 2tbsp
- Melon seeds 2 tbsp
- Sugar syrup(leftover) – 1cup
- Water – 1cup
- Cardamom powder – a pinch
- Turmeric – a pinch
- Rice (basmati, soaked) – 1cup
Instructions
For the syrup
- Make the syrup and take it to 1 string consistency. Remove 50% of the syrup and keep aside. The remaining 50% add some water and bring to a boil.
For the dough
- In a pan add milk, cardamom powder and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add suji in small batches. If you add all of it together then it will get lumpy.
- Stir till all of semolina absorbs the milk. Do not overcook here as the more you cook the harder the semolina will be and that would dry up semolina and that would break the Gulab jamun. Take out the dough at a stage where it is still very soft. Just before removing add ghee to, it.
- Remove it to a plate that is greased with some ghee.
- Let it cool just a bit and then add another spoon of ghee and rub it till it becomes a smooth dough just like khoya Mawa.
- Rub some ghee in hands and then shape them all. Fry them and then dip them in hot oil. Once it browns add it to the thin sugar syrup. Make sure the syrup is Lukewarm here. After 15mins transfer it to the thick sugar syrup and serve.
Extra shots – Sweet Rice using leftover sugar syrup
- Wash and soak the rice in water for 30mins.
- Heat ghee in a deep pan and add almonds, cashew nuts, raisins and melon seeds. Lightly brown them and immediately add leftover sugar syrup along with 1 cup water. Once it comes to a boil add cardamom powder and turmeric.
- Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan. Boil on high heat for 3mins and then lower the heat, cover and cook till the rice soaks all the liquid and cooks till soft.
- Once done remove from heat and let it sit unopened for 10mins. Now gently scoop out the sweet rice and serve it hot.
Notes
Tips & tricks while making Gulab jamun
- use fine grain suji for this recipe. Fine grain semolina will make for a smooth dough that will imitate khoya. If you have a thick grain semolina, then dry grind it in a mixer grinder.
- If the dough starts to dry up or is stiff add few spoons of milk to lighten it up.
Do not cool the dough completely as this would cause Papri to form - If the dough is not soft the Gulab Jamuns will break in the oil,
There should be no crack on the dough balls as it will break once you fry it.
Once you make the dough balls always cover and keep them so that they don’t dry up. Best is to dip them in oil or ghee so that they don’t dry
Make sure when you add Gulab jamuns to the syrup the temp of the syrup should be Lukewarm. - You can fry the Gulab jamuns and keep them for a week and at any time you want to serve them just add them to hot syrup for 2-3 hours and serve them.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!