Stuffed Gulab jamun

 

Bhai phota (in Bangla) or Bhai Duj (in Hindi), is a festival for all brothers, in this country. A Hindu festival, celebrated on the second day after Deepavali. Sisters pray for a long, healthy and prosperous life for their brothers.

Bhai = brother

In our modern world, such festivals are a novel way of keeping the family bond strong and healthy. 🙂

My brother stays more than 1400 kms away from my place but that doesn’t dampen our love for each other. Our professional commitments do not make it conducive for us to meet during Bhai Phota, but then the age old adage stands true……the distance makes the heart grow fonder 🙂 ❤

Keeping my bhai and his sweet tooth in mind, made some stuffed gulab jamuns. Mom used to make soft and juicy gulab jamuns, once upon a time and i used to be her assistant. Since my father’s death, and she herself being diabetic, sweet making has become practically non -existent.

What makes this gulab jamuns more special is that, I made it for Bhai following mom’s recipe and I made them after 23 years. 😀 That makes me a very happy woman !! 😉

My last offering for this Deepavali, stuffed gulab jamuns.

Here’s what i did………..

INGREDIENTS

Makes 7 -8 medium sized jamuns

For the jamuns :

1 cup – grated khowa (unsweetened Indian condensed milk)

1 tbsp – chenna (fresh home made cottage cheese)

1 1/2 tbsp – semolina /sooji

3 1/2 tbsp – APF / maida

1/4 tsp – baking powder

1 cup – clarified butter (ghee) + 2 tbsp – refined oil

For the stuffing :

1 tbsp – dried rose petals

1 1/2 tsp – rose syrup

1/4 tsp – nutmeg powder

For the syrup :

1 cup – granulated sugar

1 cup – water

1 nos – bay leaf

1 stick – cinnamon

1 nos – crushed green cardamom

METHOD

Make the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients given under it. Keep aside.

Knead the khowa, chena, refined flour, baking powder and semolina with the heel of your hand, till no lumps remain. Knead it into a soft dough. If the dough looks dry, wet your hands in water and knead again. Make marble sized balls from this dough. Make a depression and put 1/2 tsp of the prepared stuffing. Close the ball and start rolling it up into round ball. There should be no cracks on the ball surface. If so, roll again. Cracked balls will break while frying.

Heat the clarified butter with the refined oil, together in a wok or a deep pan. The depth of the pan should be such that the jamuns get fully immersed in the hot clarified butter, for an even frying.

Gently slide in the balls, as many as can be comfortably accomodated and lower the heat and fry evenly. Fry till its dark golden brown. Keep increasing and decreasing the heat while frying. Too hot will make the balls dark brown without cooking the inside. Less hot, the balls will soak more butter and may even break.

Drain the balls on kitchen paper and keep aside.

Heat the sugar and water with bay leaf, cinnamon stick and crushed cardamom. Let the sugar melt and keep cooking on low heat for 8 -10 mins, till the syrup thickens. Take it off fire and strain.

Slide in the jamuns in this hot syrup. The jamuns will swell up a little in few mins.

Serve hot during winter and chilled during the summer 🙂

Or serve it hot over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Shubho Bhai Phota !!

Taking these stuffed gulab jamuns over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday !! May God bless all the brothers and sisters around the world !! ❤

Let’s party !! 😀

Happy cooking !! 🙂

Cheers !! 😀

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