Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Prepare the Dough Base

   In a large plate, combine 2 cups of milk powder, 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour (maida), 1 tablespoon of fine semolina (sooji), and less than 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly with a spoon until well combined.

2. 2.Add Wet Ingredients to Dough

   Add 3 tablespoons of milk cream (malai) and 1/2 tablespoon of desi ghee to the dry mixture. Mix everything by hand, rubbing the mixture between your palms until it forms a crumbly texture and you can form a fist with it, indicating proper mixing.

3. 3.Knead the Dough

   Gradually add lukewarm milk, a little at a time, and gently knead the mixture to form a soft, smooth dough. Avoid pressing too hard or over-kneading. The dough should not be too hard or too soft.

4. 4.Rest the Dough

   Once the dough is formed, apply a thin layer of desi ghee on its surface to prevent it from drying out. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

5. 5.Prepare Sugar Syrup

   While the dough rests, prepare the sugar syrup. In a pot, combine 3 cups of granulated sugar and 3.5 cups of water. Add 3-4 split green cardamom pods and a pinch of lemon food color (or saffron strands for a natural color).

6. 6.Boil the Syrup

   Stir the mixture and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling until the sugar completely dissolves and the syrup becomes slightly sticky, but no string consistency is required. Once boiled, turn off the heat.

7. 7.Shape Gulab Jamuns

   After 10 minutes, uncover the dough. Take small, equal-sized portions of the dough and gently roll them between your palms to form smooth, crack-free balls. Ensure all balls are roughly the same size, as they will expand during frying and soaking. The video shows 15-16 balls being prepared.

8. 8.Test Oil Temperature

   Heat enough oil for deep frying in a pan. To test the oil temperature, drop one small gulab jamun ball into the hot oil. The oil should be medium hot; the ball should sizzle gently and slowly rise to the surface, turning golden brown. If it browns too quickly, the oil is too hot; if it doesn't sizzle, the oil is too cold.

9. 9.Fry Gulab Jamuns

   Once the oil is at the correct temperature, carefully add 5-6 gulab jamun balls into the pan. Fry them on a medium flame, continuously stirring gently with a slotted spoon to ensure even browning on all sides. Fry until they achieve a deep golden-brown color, which takes about 5-6 minutes per batch.

10. 10.Soak in Syrup

    Immediately remove the hot gulab jamuns from the oil and transfer them directly into the warm sugar syrup. Repeat the frying process for the remaining gulab jamun balls.

11. 11.Final Soaking

    Cover the pot with the gulab jamuns soaking in the syrup and let them rest overnight, or for at least a few hours, to allow them to fully absorb the syrup and become soft and juicy.

12. 12.Serve

    Serve the soft, juicy gulab jamuns. The video shows a cut gulab jamun, revealing its soft, syrup-soaked interior.