
Gulab Jamun (Fried Milk Balls in Aromatic Sugar Syrup)
Gulab Jamun is a classical Indian sweet recipe that you can find in every Indian wedding and mostly during festival time in India. Generally, it is made from khoya (dried whole milk which is made by boiling milk for a longer time in an open pan). But you can also make a recipe for gulab jamun with milk powder (without khoya) as well. So, people who are residing abroad and not able to find khoya can make this version very easily without it.
The word Gulab means Rose and Jamun is a type of black coloured berry fruit which is mostly available in India. Maybe because these black coloured balls we’re soaked in rose syrup during earlier times.

Required Ingredients for Gulab Jamun
For making sugar syrup
Sugar – 1 1/2 cups
Green cardamoms – 4 – 5 nos
Water – 1 1/2 cups
Rose Water – few drops (optional)
For making gulab jamun without khoya
Milk powder – 1 cup
All-purpose flour or Maida – 1/4 cup
Baking Soda – a pinch
Oil – 1 teaspoon (or) ghee – 1/2 teaspoon
Curd or Yogurt – 1 to 2 tablespoons
For deep frying
Oil
How to Make Gulab Jamun recipe with Milk Powder?
For sugar syrup
- Heat a pan and add water, sugar (after adding water, not directly), cardamom and rose water into it. Stir occasionally and let it boil till it becomes a thick syrup. You can check the consistency by taking syrup between your thumb and forefinger, stick the syrup in between them to find out its consistency. If a single small thread is formed, then it means your sugar the syrup is ready. Please note that always prepare sugar syrup when your gulab jamun is ready to fry because, sugar syrup dries out very quickly.
For making and frying balls
- Mix milk powder, flour and baking soda in a bowl.
- Add oil or ghee and curd or yoghurt into it. Add more yoghurt or curd, if the mixture is dried.
- Mix it till it comes smooth and soft. Apply oil on your palm and make small even sized balls from the dough and cover all the balls with a kitchen towel.
- Heat oil in a deep pan for frying and once the oil becomes medium hot, slow the flame and add one ball. The ball should slowly rise from the bottom to the top. If it’s not rising, oil is not hot enough or if it’s rising too quickly and becoming dark, then the oil is too hot. Adjust the flame accordingly.
- When everything is perfect, you can add more than one ball at a time depending on the capacity of your pan.
- Keep turning on the balls till it becomes brown.
- Once the balls are turning golden brown, add them directly into the sugar syrup.

Tips
If you want to make your gulab jamun more appealing, garnish it with diced almonds, pistachios or saffron.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe uses flour. It depends whether you eat flour during your fast or not.

Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder
Ingredients
For Sugar Syrup
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 4-5 nos green cardamoms
- 1.5 cups water
- few drops rose water (optional)
For making balls
- 1 cup milk powder
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour or maida
- a pinch baking soda
- 1 tsp oil (or 1/2 tsp ghee)
- 1-2 tbsp yoghurt or curd (whisked)
For deep frying
- oil
Instructions
For sugar syrup
- Heat a pan and add water, sugar (after adding water, not directly), cardamom and rose water into it.
- Stir occasionally and let it boil till it becomes a thick syrup. You can check the consistency by taking syrup between your thumb and forefinger, stick the syrup in between them to find out its consistency. If a single small thread is formed, then it means your sugar the syrup is ready.
For making and frying balls
- Mix milk powder, flour and baking soda in a bowl.
- Add oil or ghee and curd or yoghurt into it. Add more yoghurt or curd, if the mixture is dried. Mix it till it comes smooth and soft.
- Apply oil on your palm and make small even sized balls from the dough and cover all the balls with a kitchen towel.
- Heat oil in a deep pan for frying and once the oil becomes medium hot, slow the flame and add one ball. The ball should slowly rise from the bottom to the top. If it’s not rising, oil is not hot enough or if it’s rising too quickly and becoming dark, then the oil is too hot. Adjust the flame accordingly.
- When everything is perfect, you can add more than one ball at a time depending on the capacity of your pan.
- Keep turning on the balls till it becomes brown.
- Once the balls are turning golden brown, add them directly into the sugar syrup.
Notes
- Always prepare sugar syrup when your gulab jamun is ready to fry because sugar syrup dries out very quickly.
- If you want to make your gulab jamun more appealing, garnish it with diced almonds, pistachios or saffron.
Nutrition

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