Gulab jamun

Name: Gulab jamun
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 300 g Caster sugar; 1 g Cardamom pods, about 4, lightly crushed; 10 ml Rosewater; 0.3 Lemons, juiced; 120 g Milk powder; 40 g Plain flour; 2 g Baking powder; 20 g Ghee, melted; 60 ml Milk, add gradually; 500 ml Vegetable oil, for frying

Soft little milk dumplings, fried until deep golden and soaked in a warm cardamom and rose syrup. Made at every Indian celebration, and easier at home than you'd expect with milk powder.

Ingredients

300 g Caster sugar
1 g Cardamom pods, about 4, lightly crushed
10 ml Rosewater
0.3 Lemons, juiced
120 g Milk powder
40 g Plain flour
2 g Baking powder
20 g Ghee, melted
60 ml Milk, add gradually
500 ml Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Put the sugar, cardamom and 350ml water in a pan and simmer until slightly sticky but still runny. Stir in the lemon juice and rosewater and keep it warm.
Mix the milk powder, flour and baking powder, rub in the ghee, then add the milk a little at a time and bring together into a soft, smooth dough without kneading. Rest it for 10 minutes.
With greased hands, roll into about 18 small balls the size of a large marble. They must be completely smooth with no cracks, or they will split.
Heat the oil to about 150°C, much lower than for chips, so the dumplings cook through slowly. Fry a few at a time, rolling them around constantly, until deep golden brown all over. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Lift them straight into the warm syrup and leave to soak and swell.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a little syrup spooned over.