Gulab Jamun

[Suvir Saran]

Does anyone have a favorite recipe for this delicious dessert?

I find it sad that so many restaurants in NYC never serve good ones.

Actually I am yet to eat any that come even remotely close to the great ones we would eat the Bengali Sweet in Barakhamba Road in New Delhi.

Does anyone have a good source for these?

A recipe that you love?

[Hasmi]

Hi

No recipe on me. I will have to ask to get one. I have made gulab jamun once. When I made with potatoes - ummmm interesting!

Anyhow just to say the best gulab jamuns I have had ever tend to be at the Taj Hotels in India. Where sometimes you break it open and inside you find a tiny pistachio and saffron filling in the centre.

The other kind which I like are the black ones. They tend to be firmer in texture and apparently have paneer in them.

They are yummy.

Anyway will get back to you with a recipe.

Cheers

H

[ShawtyCat]

Hey Suvir,

I'd like to know more about these sweets....texture, flavor, what you remember about them. All the info you can spare.... By the way, I found a place that sells them via the web. CLICK ME!!

[Simon Majumdar]

The other kind which I like are the black ones. They tend to be firmer in texture and apparently have paneer in them.

They are yummy.

The black ones are called Sandesh ( pronounced, in Calcutta at least, shon-dish )

The are a form of rosa and are gently fried. Terrific served with rose water.

Oh and another tip for you. The best sweets in London are found at the Pradip Sweet Mart on the northwick park Rd. It is about 2 mins from Northwick Park tube on the Met Line. They have everything under the sun and it is sensational. I have their card somewhere and will dig out the address. It is well worth the short trip if you crave the good stuff

S

[Hasmi]

Hi,

For the best black gulab jamuns try the ones in 'Ambala' ( there is shop on Ealing Rd in Wembley).

Right on the end of Ealing Road near Alperton Station.

Ambala Sweet Centre

6 Glenmore Parade, Ealing Rd

Wembley Middlesex HA0 4PJ

020 8903 9740

They also do a really nice halwa - 'Hapsi Halwa'

It is a mixture of almonds, pistachio in a nice chewy mixture.

To my recognition they are the best I have ever bought over here.

Pradip Sweet Mart Ltd

154, Kenton Rd

Harrow Middlesex HA3 8AZ

Tel: 020 8907 8399

Hasmi

[anil]

Last weekend a friend of mine, here in EZE, remarked that they had never eaten indian food. So, I hunted down one, and ordered Gulab Jamun. Needless to say it was not bad considering that the restaurant was started by an Argentenian diplomat who had a long assignment in India, and brought his love for that food into Buenos Aires.

[indiachef]

Gulab jamuns and Black Gulab jamuns also known as Kala Jamuns are made from the same mix.

Kala Jamuns are fried in moderately hot oil, whereas Gulab Jamuns are fried in slow to medium flame.

The shape and size may differ.

Generally Kala Jamuns are bigger and are not so common.

A good mix for this is the Bapu branded Ram Jamun mix.

An authentic recipe would include mawa, little maida, paneer (optional), cardamom powder and baking powder. Knead softly and make a smooth dough. Shape in round balls and fry in slow to medium oil. One way the Halwais would do this is to use a long handle frying spoon and gently agitate the oil, to avoid the jamuns sticing together and at the bottom. Generally they would use two sets of Sugar syrups. One for immediate immersing and draining of oil, and the other for soaking.

Kala jamuns go well with a scoop of Vanilla icecream, I guess it was a popular dessert on the Indian food scene a few years ago by the name "Kala Gora"

[Suvir Saran]

I love gulab jamuns piping hot and with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Kala Jamuns work best for me at room temperature...

I love them both.

Recently someone served me Amul's Gulab Jamuns. They are available in most Indian grocery stores... They were good.. but not as good as the last time I tasted them.. around 3 years ago.

[CooksQuest]

Are there are any versions of gulab jamun that are not *so* sweet?

Perhaps this is an important part of their charm, but wow!

[indiachef]

In reality there are no varieties in Gulab Jamuns, unless you talk about a recipe difference.

However I have seen and tasted Gulab Jamuns without any syrup. They were more dry and less sweet.

I guess the method is probably the same, its just that the jamuns are not soaked long enough and or the syrup is not too thick.

Another way of serving Gulab Jamuns is to have them drained from syrup and rolled in dessicated coconut, garnished with chopped pistachio

[CooksQuest]

Another way of serving Gulab Jamuns is to have them drained from syrup and rolled in dessicated coconut, garnished with chopped pistachio

This sounds incredible! Suvir -- have you ever tried this?

By the way -- and admitedly off topic -- I'm trying to make Naan for the first time this weekend. Should be fun... No tandoor, but improvising with a large clay pot. I haven't decided whether to use coals in it (outside the house) or just put the clay pot in the oven (oven within an oven technique).

[Suvir Saran]

Another way of serving Gulab Jamuns is to have them drained from syrup and rolled in dessicated coconut, garnished with chopped pistachio

This sounds incredible! Suvir -- have you ever tried this?

I have tried it, yes.

I love the basic old fashioned recipe the most.

I had made rabri at home in Denver last night. We ate these with chilled rabri. They were heavenly.

Let us know how the nans come out.

[BBhasin]

Suvir, here is a simple Gulab Jamun reciepe that will make you stop pining for Bengali Sweets on Barakhamba Rd in New Delhi.

Mix together

one cup Bisquick

one cup Carnation non fat milk powder

add

1/8 cup vegetable oil and

1/3 cup water

knead to a nice soft dough. The water part varies slightly in summer and winter as you need a little less or more but try and get a soft dough.

divide into 16 portins and make them into balls ensuring there are no cracks.

deep fry golden brown in fresh med-low temp. Used oil sometimes gets tricky.

Imerse in a hot syrup made with 3 cup sugar and two cup water.

Now if you want get a little fancy...

after making the dough reserve about a table spoon before making the 16 portions.

to the reserved dough add

pinch of saffron

1/4 tsp of ground cardamon

drop of rose essence

teaspoon of chopped blanched pistachios

mix well, this is your stuffing

divide into 16 portions

now take a portion of dough, make a ball , flatten slightly, make an indent in the middle, place a portion of the stuffing into this indent, close the dough over it and form a ball with the stuffing at the core.

Fry and soak as before.

Now, your gulab jamun resembes the 'Jamun' fruit as it will have a green core just like the jamun seed and when you soak it ,the flavour and aroma permeates throughout and it truely becomes Gulab (rose) Jamun ( purplish large berrylike fruit with a green core)

Let me know how they turn out

The best Gulabjamuns I had were at a place called Pandeypur, a crossroad market between Varanasi (Benaras)

and Sarnath. You ate standing, were served in a baked clay dish which you trashed when you were done your 'spoon' was a flat bamboo sliver. Man these gulab jamun were somthing!! so soft and wonderful. They were actually so delicate that they would not tolerate the 15 Kilometer bumpy ride back to Varanasi.

Anyway enjoy!

[Monica Bhide]

BBhasin, nice recipe. i will try it too and let you know how it turns out

M

[Monica Bhide]

BTW, all my friends know that if I am serving rice pudding for dessert, I messed up the Gulab Jamuns!

[Mystik_Haze]

I LOVE Gulab Jamun and Rasgula

What is the best canned sweets brand? Is Halidrams the best?

I bought this canned Gulab Jamun once, when they were out of the fresh stuff... from the India Market on Maryland Parkway in Vegas (I only live an hour away) and it was REALLY nasty.. I don't think it was Halidrams though.. and I'm not gonna drive an hour for sweets.. my husband would kill me. Even though I have an excuse.. pregnancy haha

I also tried to make gulab Jamun myself with a recipe I got online.. and everytime I fried the balls they fell apart so to my dismay and $20 later.. I am going to order the canned online..

Any suggestions or links to where I can order some?

Edited August 30, 2003 by Mystik_Haze (log)

[mongo_jones]

The black ones are called Sandesh ( pronounced, in Calcutta at least, shon-dish )

shurely shome mishtake--shondesh is a completely different sweet.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Count me in as a Gulab Jamun addict. I had never tasted them up until four or five years ago when some friends had a large party at their house and catered Indian. Consequently, there was a large tray (fift or more!) of this amazing dessert set over sternos. The party was actually a Pagan religious festival and I was convinced that these morsels were, in fact, testicles of God...

I think I consumed eight or ten of them. I just couldn't stop.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Suvir, here is a simple Gulab Jamun reciepe that will make you stop pining for Bengali Sweets on Barakhamba Rd in New Delhi.

Mix together

one cup Bisquick

one cup Carnation non fat milk powder

add

1/8 cup vegetable oil and

1/3 cup water

knead to a nice soft dough. The water part varies slightly in summer and winter as you need a little less or more but try and get a soft dough.

divide into 16 portins and make them into balls ensuring there are no cracks.

deep fry golden brown in fresh  med-low temp. Used oil sometimes gets tricky.

Imerse in a  hot syrup made with 3 cup sugar and two cup water.

I'm confused... I always thought they were made of some mysterious Cheese!

[Pan]

I'm confused... I always thought they were made of some mysterious Cheese!

Sounds like you're thinking of Rasmalai.

[BBhasin]

Suvir, here is a simple Gulab Jamun reciepe that will make you stop pining for Bengali Sweets on Barakhamba Rd in New Delhi.

Mix together

one cup Bisquick

one cup Carnation non fat milk powder

add

1/8 cup vegetable oil and

1/3 cup water

knead to a nice soft dough. The water part varies slightly in summer and winter as you need a little less or more but try and get a soft dough.

divide into 16 portins and make them into balls ensuring there are no cracks.

deep fry golden brown in fresh  med-low temp. Used oil sometimes gets tricky.

Imerse in a  hot syrup made with 3 cup sugar and two cup water.

I'm confused... I always thought they were made of some mysterious Cheese!

This is a recipe popular with Indians living abroad, where improvisation is dictated by inadequate availability, time constraints and average culinary skills. That said I assure you the results are the same, if not better, than the origional stuff back in India.

[prasad2]

Gits pre-mix is pretty good too.

[Mystik_Haze]

So does anyone know if Halidrams canned Gulab Jamun and Rasgula is any good?

[Mystik_Haze]

Suvir, here is a simple Gulab Jamun reciepe that will make you stop pining for Bengali Sweets on Barakhamba Rd in New Delhi.

Mix together

one cup Bisquick

one cup Carnation non fat milk powder

add

1/8 cup vegetable oil and

1/3 cup water

knead to a nice soft dough. The water part varies slightly in summer and winter as you need a little less or more but try and get a soft dough.

divide into 16 portins and make them into balls ensuring there are no cracks.

deep fry golden brown in fresh  med-low temp. Used oil sometimes gets tricky.

Imerse in a  hot syrup made with 3 cup sugar and two cup water.

I'm confused... I always thought they were made of some mysterious Cheese!

This is a recipe popular with Indians living abroad, where improvisation is dictated by inadequate availability, time constraints and average culinary skills. That said I assure you the results are the same, if not better, than the origional stuff back in India.

I attempted making Gulab Jamun 4 times.. with this one recipe I got off this website.. except they said to add butter to the bisquick and powdered milk..

When I went to fry the balls they fell to pieces! How much oil am I supposed to use? Or were they wrong about adding butter?

Also when they say DEEP FRY.. do they mean fry the balls in a frying pan with SOME oil... or just fill the pan with oil and fry them in it?

Then when I finally got one of them to stay a ball, I put it in the syrup in the fridge and it soaked up all the syrup and broke to pieces..

Then another try I got them to stay in somewhat balls and in the fridge they hardened..

IM SO horrible at this! Im getting desperate to drive to Vegas very soon.

Anyone have any suggestions?

p.s. Also some recipes call for "rose essence" or whatever its called, where can I get that here in the US?

Edited August 31, 2003 by Mystik_Haze (log)

[BBhasin]

So does anyone know if Halidrams canned Gulab Jamun and Rasgula is any good?

They are very good. There is another brand called Nanak's from Canada try that too their gulabjamuns are a little different from Haldirams, they are a little brownish inside.