Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun is a milk-solid-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent. It is made mainly from milk solids, traditionally from khoya, which is milk reduced to the consistency of a soft dough. Modern recipes call for dried or powdered milk instead of khoya. It is often garnished with dried nuts such as almonds and cashews to enhance flavour. Milk and cheese solids are prepared by heating milk over a low flame for a long time until the water content has evaporated and only the milk solids remain. These milk solids, known as khoya, are kneaded into a dough, with a small amount of flour (maida), and then shaped into small balls and deep-fried in oil or ghee (clarified butter) at a low temperature of about 148°C until they get their familiar golden brown colour. If the balls are cooked quickly, they will be raw on the inside. The fried balls are then soaked in a light sugar syrup flavoured with green cardamom and rose water, kewra or saffron. Gulab jamun was first prepared in medieval India and was derived from a fritter that Central Asian Turkic invaders brought to India. Other theory claims that it was accidentally prepared by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's personal chef. The word "Gulab" is derived from the Persian words gol (flower) and āb (water), referring to the rose water-scented syrup. "Jamun" or "jaman" is the Hindi word for Syzygium jambolanum, an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum. Jamun is also defined as a fried delicacy in sugar syrup. The Arab dessert luqmat al-qadi is similar to gulab jamun, although it uses a different batter. According to the culinary historian Michael Krondl, both luqmat al-qadi and gulab jamun may have derived from a Persian dish, with rose water syrup being a common connection between the two. Gulab jamun is a dessert often eaten at festivals, birthdays or major celebrations such as marriages, the Muslim celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the Hindu festival of Diwali (the Indian
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Location: Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Photo credit: © François-Olivier Dommergues / Alamy / Afripics
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