Welcome back to our second video of Cultural Cuisine with Meg and Emma!  If you are interested in making the gulab jamuns, there are more in-depth instructions below.

Ingredients

Serving Size 20 balls

~2 cups dry milk powder

~3 tablespoons flour

~2 tablespoons butter

~½ teaspoon baking powder

~½ cup warm milk

~¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

~ 1-quart vegetable oil (for deep frying)

~1 ¼ white sugar

~7 fluid ounce of water

Pre-step:

If you are unable to find ground cardamom, you might have to buy the seeds.  If you do, peel them and grind them in a grinder beforehand. It depends on the seed size, but after 10 seeds, there were enough for the ¼ teaspoon and the pinch needed later in the recipe.  

1. First, heat milk in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Also, lay out the butter beforehand to soften, or heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds interval until its melted.
2. Then, in a large bowl, stir together the warm milk, flour, baking powder, and cardamom.  Add the melted butter in. Then pour in the milk. Mix it all together until it is blended.  
3. Cover the bowl for 20 minutes, and let it rest.
4. While the bowl is sitting for 20 minutes, get a large pan.  Stir the white sugar and fluid ounces of water together. Add a pinch of cardamom in.  Mix it all together in the pan. Bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined.  Set aside for the time being.
5. Fill a large pot ¼ way with oil, so it covers the balls.  Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. Next, knead the dough.  Form into 20 balls. This step might take longer than 5 minutes, so plan accordingly with step 5.  
7. Once the oil is hot, put 10 balls into the pot (or all 20 if your pot is big enough).  
8. After five minutes, they will start to float.  If they do not, check to make sure they are not stuck to the bottom of the pot.  If they are, lightly tap them, and they should float once they are unstuck. The balls should expand to twice their original size.  The color will be the same, but once they start to float, they should start to turn to a light golden color. Turn them until they golden evenly.  
9. Once they are golden, remove them from oil to the paper towels (preferably using a spoon with holes, so less oil transfers to the paper towels).  Allow them to cool slightly.
10.  Then, place the balls into the skillet with the syrup made in step 4.  Simmer on medium heat for five minutes. While they are simmering, squeeze them with a spoon lightly against the pan, so they absorb the syrup.
11. Finally, take them out of the syrup and enjoy!

Supritha shared more about gulab jamuns and her culture when she answered interview questions:

• How did you learn the recipe/who taught you?

“My mom.”

• How often do you make gulab jamuns?

“About 3 times a year.”

• Do you have any special day/memory that gulab jamuns were apart of?

“Yes; my mom sometimes makes them on my birthday and sometimes on certain Indian holidays (like Diwali and etc.)”

• What is your idea of the perfect gulab jamun?

“When the gulab jamuns are round, soft, and moist. Also, it tastes even better when the balls are soaked in the syrup.”

• What is your all-time favorite Indian dish?

“Butter chicken biryani (lol it’s not what it sounds like)”

Thank you Supritha!