Gulab Jamun
Makes about 20
Khoya (solidified milk), firmly packed 1 cup (250 g)
Maida (refined flour) ½ cup (60 g)
Baking soda ¼ tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) for deep frying
Sugar 2 cups (480 g)
Water 3 cups (720 ml)
Milk 2 tbsp mixed with
Water 2 tbsp
Green cardamoms, seeds lightly crushed of 3-4 pods
Method
1. Mash the 'khoya' well, so that no grains remain. Add flour and soda to it and knead into a firm but pliable dough, using a little water, if need be.
2. When the dough is ready, shape it into marble sized balls that are smooth and creaseless.
3. Put the ‘ghee’ in a wok or `kadahi' and place over high heat. When a piece of dough thrown in comes up at once, lower the heat and fry a cube of bread tilla light brown, to lower the temperature of the oil.
4. Remove the bread and add as many balls as will come in, without touching each other. Keeping the heat low, fry these till a golden brown all over, turning if necessary-- it is easier to stir the oil slowly, which helps them to turn over, because turning them individually, may break them.
5. Drain these out of the fat, increase the heat for a few seconds before adding the next lot. Keep these `GulabJamuns' aside till the syrup is ready.
6. Place the sugar and water in a heavy based pan over low heat, and stir till the sugar dissolves, without comingto a boil. Increase the heat once the sugar dissolves, and let the mixture come to a boil.
7. Add the cardamoms and the milk and water mixture and continue boiling over high heat, without stirring, till it reaches one thread consistency (take a few drops aside, and when cool, press between the thumb and fore finger, and then pull apart, in doing which, a thin thread should form. If more are formed, it is too thick and you have to dilute it and cook again, and if none are formed you must cook some more.)
8. When the one thread consistency is reached, shut off the heat, let the syrup cool for a minimum of 1/2 an hour, and then strain it through a fine nylon sieve or a muslin cloth.
9. Bring the syrup to a boil again, add the fried balls to it and shut off the heat. Let these soak for at least1/2 an hour before serving.
Renu maybe your batter is too thin. It is like a thick pouring consistency. You should dip and coat the 'sandwich' and quickly fry. Your oil should be hot--a drop of batter dropped in should come up at once. Lower the heat as soon as the pakoras are in. Maybe your stuffing is too much. Just try them once again--the bread should be turned around swiftly to coat well and put into the oil. I have a feeling the main problem must be the consistency of the batter.
