Easy Gulab Jamun
Easy Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is a popular Indian sweetmeat that is soft, sweet and deep-fried, so I guess this is one recipe to save for those special occasions. They are wonderfully indulgent and, thankfully, this recipe makes a smaller quantity than my original version.
I have updated this recipe because I felt my previous version made far too many Gulab Jamuns. I have also added more detail to the recipe so that even novice bakers can have success making them.
If you are not an experienced baker, please read through the entire recipe and my notes before you start. There are a few little things that can make a big difference to the final result, especially when it comes to the consistency of the dough and the temperature of the oil.
South African Gulab Jamun
The Gulab Jamuns we make here in South Africa are slightly different from some of the versions you may find in India. Ours are not usually left soaking in syrup for a long period of time. Instead, they are dipped into the syrup for a few seconds, or perhaps a few minutes, and then removed.
That means you still get the delicious sweetness from the syrup without the Gulab Jamun becoming completely saturated.
The traditional recipe also uses powdered milk. I have added some to my recipe, although it is completely optional. If you don’t have powdered milk on hand, you can still make the recipe without it.
I also like rolling my Gulab Jamuns in coconut after dipping them in the syrup. This is definitely a personal preference, but I absolutely love anything with coconut. I am a coconut fan…you can tell I’m Indian!
Adding Sugar
Indian sweetmeats are delicious, but I have to admit that some of them are much too sweet for my taste. It is something I have never quite managed to get used to.
You will notice that I reduce the sugar in many of my recipes. I don’t think a sweet treat needs to be overwhelmingly sweet to be delicious. There should still be enough sweetness to make it feel like a proper treat, without the sugar completely taking over.
I also haven’t had any disastrous results from reducing the sugar in my recipes. Everything has worked well so far, which is why I am comfortable making this little adjustment in my own baking.
Easy to Make
Gulab Jamun is actually a fairly easy sweetmeat to make. In fact, for me, it is one of the easiest, and I genuinely enjoy making them. There is something almost therapeutic about rolling each little piece of dough and shaping them.
Some people find getting the shape right a little difficult at first, but it is much simpler than it looks.
Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball first. Then gently roll it between the palms of your hands until it forms a smooth oval or finger-like shape. Try not to make them too large because they will expand slightly as they cook.
Keeping them relatively small also makes them look more appealing when served, especially if you are making them for a special occasion or Diwali.
The Dough Should Be Soft
The consistency of the dough is one of the most important parts of making good Gulab Jamun. Your dough should be soft and slightly sticky to the touch.
If the dough is too dry, it will be difficult to shape and your Gulab Jamuns may not have that soft texture you are looking for. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour or other dry ingredients just because the dough feels a little sticky.
It is also completely normal to have a few small cracks in the Gulab Jamuns after frying. Don’t panic if they aren’t perfectly smooth. Once they are dipped in the syrup and served, nobody is going to be inspecting them with a magnifying glass.
Frying the Gulab Jamun
Your ghee or oil needs to be at medium heat. This is important because the Gulab Jamuns need enough time to cook all the way through.
If the oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly on the outside while remaining uncooked in the centre. Nobody wants a beautifully golden Gulab Jamun that is still doughy inside.
You may need to adjust the temperature as you fry. If the oil becomes too hot, turn the heat off completely and allow it to cool down slightly before continuing.
It is better to fry them gently and give them enough time to cook properly than to rush the process.
Sugar Syrup
For the sugar syrup, I usually cook mine until it becomes slightly sticky and syrupy. I keep the syrup warm over the lowest heat, which helps prevent it from crystallising.
If your syrup does crystallise, don’t panic. Add a few drops of water and gently reheat it until the syrup becomes smooth again.
I prefer to drop my Gulab Jamuns into the syrup and literally just coat them before removing them almost immediately. This gives them a light coating of sweetness without making them overly syrupy.
If you prefer softer Gulab Jamuns with more syrup absorbed into them, you can leave them soaking for a little longer. There is no right or wrong way here. It really comes down to how you enjoy them.
Use a Small Saucepan
I used only 1 cup of butter ghee to fry all 40 of the Gulab Jamuns, and I still had some butter ghee left in the saucepan afterwards.
This is one of those little tricks that can save you quite a bit of oil or ghee. Use a small saucepan for frying so that the Gulab Jamuns are properly immersed in the oil while they cook.
If you use a large, wide pan, the oil or ghee spreads across the bottom and you will need considerably more to get the same depth. A smaller saucepan keeps the frying area compact and means you don’t need to use as much.
Once your Gulab Jamuns are fried, coated in warm syrup and ready to serve, you can enjoy them as they are or roll them in coconut, as I like to do.
They make a wonderful treat for Diwali, celebrations or simply those days when you feel like making something a little indulgent. Just remember, they are deep-fried and sweet, so perhaps don’t make them an everyday breakfast…although I certainly won’t judge! 😊
More Diwali Treats to Try
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
- 150 ml condensed milk
- 2 tbsp butter ghee melted, reduce to 1 tablespoon in summer (see notes)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tspn cardamom/elachie ground
- 1/4 tspn nutmeg ground
- 1/4 cup powdered milk I used Klim (totally optional)
- 1&1/4 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup butter ghee or vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup desssicated coconut for dusting after dipping in syrup
Syrup
- 1&1/2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tspn rose essence
- 1/2 tspn cardamom/elachie
Instructions
- For the syrup, add the sugar, water, elachie and rose essence to a saucepan and simmer on medium to low heat until it's slightly sticky and syrupy. Takes about 20-25 minutes to thicken. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and keep syrup warm
- In a large dish, add the condensed milk, melted ghee (please ensure your ghee has been measured accurately, see note below), milk, nutmeg and elachie. Mix it well. Add the powdered milk and a little flour at a time until you form a soft dough, not too sticky and not too dry, you must be able to roll it into shape easily. You may require more or less flour. If the dough feels too sticky when bringing it together wash your hands and knead again. It will feel less sticky. You can also rub a little ghee on your hands when rolling the dough into shape
- Heat oil on medium heat in a small saucepan. Divide dough into little balls and then roll in the palm of your hands to form an oval finger shape. Keep checking the temperature of your oil, if it gets too hot reduce the temperature or turn the heat off completely to allow it to cool down a little.
- Fry the Gulab Jamuns in the oil, use a slotted spoon to drain all the oil before removing. Dip in the syrup for a few seconds and roll into the coconut
- Place on parchment paper until it cools down and then store in an airtight container
Notes
- Please use proper measuring utensils when following a recipe. A cup measures 250ml
- You can add more rose essence if you prefer. I have noticed that some brands of rose essence is much more intense than others so depending on which one you use you can adjust the quantity
- Please measure 2 tablespoons ghee after it's melted. Solid ghee will weigh more and your gulab jamun will crumble in the oil/ghee. I suggest reducing the ghee to 1 tablespoon in summer or warmer weather. Extra ghee does sometimes cause your dough to crack or crumble when frying, In winter flour loses it's moisture and therefore soaks up more fat.
- If you want a stronger cardamom flavour you can add more cardamom to your syrup
- The weather plays an important role in the amount of flour you require. I used an extra 1 tablespoon of flour. Sometimes I don't need the extra. Please adjust accordingly but do add a little at a time or you may end up with a dry dough
- The dough dries fairly quickly so if you cannot work fast please cover it with a damp kitchen towel. Your dough should be a little sticky to the touch but as you work with it the dough becomes silky smooth
- If you prefer your Gulab Jamuns soaked in the syrup please allow it to soak in the syrup for a few extra seconds. I remove mine fairly quickly as I prefer less syrup soaked in
- The Gulab Jamun may seem a little hard when just fried but it does get softer
Hi
Can I use butter instead of ghee ?
Hi Nicole! Yes you can use butter, it works perfectly well:-)
@Nicole, I used Rama Margarine , and they still turned out excellent
Wow!!!
I always want to buy gulab jamun, but my word it’s pricey!!! tried this for the first time for Eid. We are half the batch before the day. I literally followed the recipe as it is, 1 and a quarter cup flour and 41 gulab, that is amazing ! I will never be buying these again.
I didn’t have self rising flour so I added 1 teaspoon baking powder. I also added a 1/4 tsp koeksister spice.
This recipe is a life changer !!! thanks so much!!!
I made it turned out lovely…but my syrup was too thin….now the the dough nuts are too soggy/wet..can I remedy this?
Hi there 😊 I’m glad the recipe turned out well, but let’s see if we can save those Gulab Jamun! If the syrup is too thin, you can carefully remove the Gulab Jamun and simmer the syrup separately for a little longer until it thickens slightly. Allow it to cool a little before returning the Gulab Jamun to the syrup. If the Gulab Jamun are already very soft and soggy, they may not firm up completely, but thickening the syrup should help prevent them from becoming even more saturated. Hope this helps! ❤️
hi,
love your page!!!
can the Gulab Jamun be baked?
Thank you Jen. No I am going to be honest, never tried baking them. If I do try will definitely let you know:-)
I’ve made this recipe and it was tasty, however the dough was just too sticky and the total amount of flour used was 4 cups. It does soak up a lot of oil but doesn’t have that oily taste.
I have used this recipe for many years and I have never used as much as 4 cups of flour. The dough should be soft but definitely not sticky. Sorry that the recipe didn’t work as well for you.
Hi there! I’m just about to try your recipe but would like to make it in advance. How long do these last at room temperature, refrigerator, can it be frozen and for how long?
Thank you!
Hi there 😊 Gulab Jamun are best enjoyed fresh, but you can make them ahead of time. Because they contain dairy and are soaked in syrup, I’d recommend storing them in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator rather than leaving them at room temperature for extended periods. They should keep for around 3–4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months, although the texture may change slightly after thawing. Thaw them in the refrigerator and gently warm them in a little syrup before serving. Hope this helps! ❤️
Thank u for sharing, I absolutely love watching and trying ur recipes.
Thank you so much Laura:-)
The best Gulab recipe ever!!!!
Thank you so much Nicolene:-)
Hi. I live in India and we don’t have self raising flour. Can u tell me how I can substitute with normal flour.
Thanks
Hi there! You can use 1 teaspoon of baking powder together with the normal flour:-)
The best recipe and I asked many South African Indian Muslim friends and they use to say it’s a top secret recipe thank you so much for sharing your recipes with honesty and sincerity.
They turned out perfect I’m just going to share your site with the whole Middle East and everyone I know 💯👌🏼🤩☮️☺️
Love from Lebanon and Oman 🥰☮️🤲🏼
Thank you so much Sara. You’re the kindest. I am so happy to be able to share my knowledge so you’re most welcome:-)
Hello how are you lPromlem always not cooked in side heat always on med some are raw inside🙄😥🇿🇦
You are probably cooking it when the oils too hot. You have to adjust the temperature so it cooks on a low to medium heat. Also if too hot the insides won’t have a chance to cook as the outside browns too quickly.
Hi why is mine cracking open alot
Hi there 😊 Gulab Jamun can crack while frying if the dough is too dry or has cracks when you roll it into balls. Try kneading the dough gently until smooth and make sure the balls have no visible cracks before frying. Also, fry them over low to medium-low heat so they cook evenly without browning too quickly on the outside. Hope this helps! ❤️
Wont ghee burned can I used half ghee and oil thank you GOD BLESS you 🎈❤️
No ghee doesn’t burn but you can use half oil if you prefer
Hi if we fry in ghee will they become hard when stored if ghee solidifies.
I’ve never fried anything in ghee always in oil but sounds healthier to fry in ghee 🙂
Yes frying the gulab jamun in ghee on a really cold day can pose a problem. I should have mentioned that. I would suggest frying in ghee in Summer and maybe stick to the oil in Winter. Alternatively just heat it up a litle before serving
Hi
This is the way, I do my gulabs… and they come out perfect 👌. I just add 1 tablespoon of soji for more tecture.
We don’t like them overly soaked, they must be just dipped and then rolled in coconut for the perfect finish.
Loved this recipe. It was so easy and delicious!
You’re so beautiful.
Lovely easy recipe. I just made some yesterday. A recipe I’ve been using for many years.
Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes.
Love from East London
Thank you so much. That’s wonderful to hear and you’re most welcome:-)
The best Jamun ever. This was my first attempt at making jamun …….the jamuns came out perfect . Thank you so much for the receipe . Really appreciate your kindness, in sharing the receipe.
Dearest Lorraine, you are an amazing awesome n beautiful,Thank you for the amazing delicious recipes. I had an opportunity to make these delicious julams, my sons favourite..
This is a fantastic recipe. Thank you!
However it is important to note that if you prefer the gulab Jamun more soaked in syrup, you’re going to have to increase the quantity of syrup. I soaked them for about 30 seconds +- and ran out of syrup so had to make a second batch with half qty.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! ❤️ That’s a very helpful tip. You’re right, if you prefer your Gulab Jamun to be thoroughly soaked in syrup, you may need to make a little extra, depending on the size of your batch and how much syrup they absorb. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone! 😊
I make this recipe whenever I need to make gulab jamun, always turns out right
wonderful recipe, thank you for sharing. made it today and it came out perfect. one thing I’d like to know is why doesn’t it have taystee wheat? can we add like a tablespoon?
Hi Lorraine. I love your site. My favourite recipe is the veg breyani & I’ve had rave reviews each time I’ve cooked it for guests. Gulab Jamun has been something Ive wanted to do for a long time & after reading the reviews. I’m excited to try it even though i have a family recipe from my gujerati in-laws who make this with 1 cup Tasty wheat added to their flour. I’m interested to know if you’ve ever tried it with the TW & is there a reason for using TW.
Thank you for amazing recipes with so much clarity & detail. 🫶
Hi there 😊 Thank you so much for your lovely message! I’m thrilled to hear that the Veg Breyani has been such a hit with your guests. ❤️ I haven’t tested this particular Gulab Jamun recipe with Tasty Wheat, so I wouldn’t want to advise you on changing the quantities without trying it first. Tasty Wheat adds a different texture to the dough, so it may affect how soft the Gulab Jamun turns out. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it works for you! Thank you for your support and for cooking my recipes. 🫶
thank you aunty Lorraine.
Love this recipe! Tastes just like the Gulab Jamun my mom used to make growing up in Durban.
The perfect gulab jamun recipe & easy to make, Gulab jamuns are my favourite, made them a few years ago but it flopped. I used your recipe this Diwali & they were perfect & delicious. My daughters tasted every gulab jamun we received for Diwali but these were still the best. Also use your simple burfee recipe which comes out perfect & creamy every time. Thank you for sharing Lorraine.
Hi Lorraine, Just made some today following your recipe without the semolina and the milk powder.
It turned out perfect just as well!
Thanks for the tip about using too much of ghee in the dough. I wondered why the dough crumbled out in the oil whilst frying in my last cooking – now I know.
Wish you well dear.
Thank you Lorraine for this easy and accurate recipe. I attempted these more than 30 years ago and was afraid I would never perfect them, so gave up trying, but you have changed all that with your fabulous recipe.
I did add 1 more tablespoon of flour and only rolled 28 “fingers.” You are now my sweetmeat hero.🤩🙏
Hi Lorraine can I make these 5 days in advance and keep them in a sealed Tupperware for an occasion?