It was Arun’s Birthday yesterday and I had a hunch that he would request me to make these gulab jamoons even before I put forth the question to him. This is his very favorite of all the sweets and it is almost like a ritual to be made during Diwali. But since I was out of station for this Diwali, I did not make it and I knew he would definitely ask for this. He turned 12 and the fact that I’m the mother of an almost teenaged boy makes me feel so old. Just kidding.
I would also like to apologize for not frequenting many of your spaces in the past few days. As my laptop just returned after a much needed servicing and hubby dear not being in station and with Arun’s birthday and guests and work I had been so held up with very little time to spare for anything else. When Hubby dear called up to say that he might be held up due to heavy rain and could not make it for Arun’s Birthday, the boy was so heart broken. 
This is to the boy who made mother hood a cake walk for a first time mother. I never had morning sickness when I was carrying him and he was the perfect baby when he was born. He never cried. Yes no throwing up tantrums at all. Even when the syringe pricked his butt during the routine shots he never cried and he never falls sick, never. Always smiling and gurgling. My neighbors always used to remark that it is very difficult to believe that there was a baby at home. He was never a picky eater, always ate food so heartily right from the day when he was introduced to solid foods. I knew that he would eventually become “THE” foodie when his play mate happened to be my 10 ltr Pressure cooker. Watching him walk precariously carrying the cooker was always such a delight.
This is to the boy who watches over his not so healthy younger brother always like a mother hen and who helps me in many things especially in cooking. This is to the boy who was a dream come true baby right from day one and watching him grow up all these years, bringing laurels by excelling both in studies and extra curricular activities has been a very rewarding experience.
For making Sugar Syrup:
For making Sugar Syrup: Heat water in a large pan. Add sugar and cook till it dissolves completely. Add the milk and and wait till the scum floats on top.
Remove with a ladel or filter it and cook the syrup further till it reaches a sticky consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Keep aside.
For making Jamoons:
Sieve together milk powder, flour and baking soda. Add butter or ghee to this mixture and mix with your finger tips till it resembles bread crumbs.
sprinkle water little by little and mix together into a soft dough. Do not knead it tightly. If the dough is sticky grease your hands with ghee. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.
Knead it once again with your finger tips and make small balls of the dough. Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan. The oil should not be smoking hot. Slip 4-5 balls into the oil at a time and cook over medium flame till they get cooked to a brown color. Remove on a kitchen paper. Once they get cooled off add these balls to the sugar syrup.
Let the gulab jamoons soak in the syrup for at least an hour before serving. These actually stays good for a week time. Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios before serving.
Do check out my Bread Jamoons here.
This is off to my Let’s Cook: Mughlai Cuisine and to Srav’s CC: Festive Food
Labels: Desserts, Indian Sweets, Mughlai Cuisine
