How to Make Gulab Jamun

• 1.With the heel of your palm or the base of a flat metal bowl, mash the khoya, so that no grains remain.
• 2.Mix in the flour and baking soda and knead into firm dough. You can use a food processor too.
• 3.The dough should be firm but pliable and should not feel dry. If it does feel dry, wet your hands and work the dough again.
• 4.Shape the dough into marble-sized balls (jamuns) that are smooth and creaseless. The shape can be round or oblong.
• 5.Heat ghee in the kadahi till a piece of dough tossed in comes up at once.
• 6.Lower heat and fry a cube of bread till light brown (this lowers the temperature of the ghee).
• 7.Lift out bread and add as many jamuns as will fit in, without one touching the other.
• 8.Keeping the heat low, fry these till a golden brown all over.
• 9.Drain the jamuns out of the ghee, and fry the next lot, increasing the heat for a few seconds and then lowering it again before adding the jamuns.
• 10.Keep the gulab jamuns aside till the syrup is ready.
• 11.Mix the sugar and water and place over low heat, stirring till the sugar dissolves. Make sure it does not boil.
• 12.Increase the heat once the sugar dissolves, and then bring mixture to a boil.
• 13.Add the milk and water mixture and continue boiling over high flame, without stirring.
• 14.Skim off any scum that collects on the sides of the pan.
• 15.Cook till syrup thickens a bit. A finger dipped in slightly cold syrup should form a coating on it for a few seconds.
• 16.Take syrup off stove and cool for a minimum of half an hour. Strain through a fine nylon sieve or muslin cloth.
• 17.Add cardamom and bring syrup to a boil again.
• 18.Add the fried gulab jamuns to it and put off the heat. Let jamuns soak for at least half an hour before serving.