It is almost universally acknowledged and proven that no festival or special occasion can go without satisfying the irresistible sweet tooth. And if there’s anything that can tantalize my taste buds, then it's none other than a big piece of Gulab Jamun. The soft, chashni-dripping sweetmeat has kept Indians hooked to it for ages. However, as much as we wait to savour a piece of the sweet outside, we dread making it at home. After all, who wants a rock-hard or crumbly Gulab Jamun?
As a person who loves experimenting with food at home, it took me around 4-5 attempts to make Gulab Jamuns turn out right despite following the recipe to the T. While sometimes the chhena balls were rock-hard, the other times they crumbled while frying. Despite the failed attempts, I never gave up trying because the joy of perfecting a classic is incomparable. So, to make you live this joy, here are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind the next time you are trying to make Gulab Jamuns at home.
1. Keep the flame on low to medium when you add the chhena balls. Gradually increase the temperature as they start changing colour.
2. Make sure you mould the chhena mixture into perfect shapes without any cracks or crevices. These cracks are the reasons why your Gulab Jamuns break into pieces while frying.
3. Ensure that you make a good binding dough. Do not over-knead the dough; start making balls out of it as soon as it starts binding.
4. If you don’t like taking even a tint of rick, you can add a tablespoon of arrowroot powder or cornflour while making your dough to make sure the balls don’t crumble while frying.
5. Grease your palms with either ghee or oil to make a perfectly shaped dough.
6. Resting your dough overnight is a good idea if you want to get a Halwai-waali Gulab Jamun.
7. To figure out if your dough and frying techniques are right, you can take a small part of the dough and fry it and soak it in sugar syrup to have a taste.
I hope these tips have made it easy for you to nail making your favourite sweetmeat. Here is a detailed recipe for you to try Gulab Jamuns at home.
