A double fried dark colored jamuns soaked in rose scented sugar syrup. This is a darker version of famous Indian dessert Gulab jamun. Gulab jamuns are fried milk dumplings in rose scented sugar syrup. These are larger in size when compared to the gulab jamuns and also much tastier.
It gets dark color from the sugar added in the dough. I have used color inside the jamun, you can even use nuts inside and make them. It takes more soaking time than normal gulab jamuns. SO do not try to taste them in 30 minutes.I have a normal gulab jamun recipe in my list. No one would say no to that as well. But if you have tasted kala jamuns from India, you would just go yum! They are beautiful sexy dark colored jamuns which is sweeter than normal jamuns.
Tips to make them perfect: (almost similar to gulab jamun tips)
If you get the right consistency in the gulab jamun dough, you will never buy in the stores. I have mentioned some tips and suggestions, which might help.
- If you are making this with readymade mix, just mix it with milk till you get the right consistency, (not dry crumble but stickly soft)
- For sugar solution, on cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, then just add two or three tablespoons of water and warm the syrup again. It will be back to the syrup consistency.
- Apply some oil on your palms and make smalls balls from the dough. It may double the size after soaking in water, so be careful to make them small sized.
- There should be no cracks on the dough balls. They should be smooth, If there are cracks, then just add some 1 oe 2 tbsp of yogurt/milk and continue making the balls.
- Do cover them and keep aside for ten minutes before frying them. it makes a great difference.
- Do not make the jamun dough hard, it should be soft or else the syrup will not go inside after soaking.
- When you fry them, when the oil becomes medium hot, lower the flam, add a small in the oil, it should slowly rise to the top from bottom. If it rises instantly, then the oil is too hot to fry which is not good. One jamun should get fried for about 6 -8 mins, its that slow for a perfect jamun.
- If jamun cracks while frying, then add 1 or 2 tspof flour to the dough and form the balls again.
- Don’t crowd the pan when deep frying, it might make the oil totally zero hot.
- Fry the jamuns for 5-6 minutes, remove from heat. Drop the jamuns again after 10 minutes, and fry them for 3-4 minutes till they are dark brown colored jamuns.
- Use a wooden spatula to rotate the oil after adding the jamuns without touching them, so that they are evenly gold.
I have few other delicious sweet dessert recipes in my website.
- Khoya (milk solid) – 2 cups, homemade or store bought
- Crumbled Paneer – 1 cup, homemade or store bought
- All-purpose flour – 5 tbsp
- Baking powder – a pinch
- (or)
- Ready made gulab jamun mix - 3 cups
For Inner jamuns: - Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
- Sugar – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Color – green/red (optional)
- Ghee – 1 tbsp (to knead)
- Ghee/oil – for deep frying
For sugar syrup: - Sugar – 5 cups
- Water – 2.5 cups
- Rose essence – 1 tsp
- Saffron – a pinch
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
- To prepare the sugar syrup:
- Mix water, sugar, cardamom and saffron in a pan, heat it till you get a syrup consistency. There should not be any thread formation, as it might form crystals later. Usually it takes around 8 – 10 mins for that consistency in medium flame.
- Add the rose water and keep it aside.
To prepare the jamuns: - In a wide bowl, add the crumbled khoya, all-purpose flour, paneer and baking powder. Mix it gently. Or you can use ready-made gulab jamun mix.
- Add little bit of water and make it into a smooth dough and knead the dough well. Use 1 tbsp of ghee and knead.
- Take ¼th of the dough, add cardamom powder, sugar, color and mix well.( you can even add chopped nuts to it). Make small balls.
- Divide the colored and white dough into equal portions.
- Take the white dough spread, spread it and then stuff the coloured dough into it and close. Make a round shape or bullet shape ball. Keep aside and repeat the same process for entire dough.
- Once the jamuns are ready, Heat oil. In a low flame, fry the jamuns till they are golden brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove (with no oil totally) and keep aside for ten minutes.
- And fry the jamuns again after ten minutes in low flame for 3- 4minutes; they will get a black color outside. But do not keep in high heat and burn them.
- Add these jamuns to hot sugar syrup soak for atleast 3 hours and serve.
