(Above): Chocolate Gulab Jamun (Photo: Amar D. Gupta/Siliconeer)

As the festive season arrives, the need to have savory sweets to offer to your guests is on everyone’s mind. Here’s one that is sure to surprise even the most demanding, writes Chef Sanjay Patel.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Carnation milk powder
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup Bisquick
  • 2 tsp Hershey’s coco powder or chocolate powder
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • whole milk just enough to make the dough
  • oil for frying
  • For the Sugar Syrup
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
  • 8-10 strands of saffron (kesar)
  • For the Chocolate Sauce
  • 6 oz white chocolate
  • 3 cups heavy cream

Method:

Gulab Jamun

Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Bisquick, butter. Add just enough whole milk to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into 18-20 portions. Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a damp but dry kitchen towel.

Heat the oil on high and then lower the heat to medium. Slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one. They will sink to the bottom of the pan. Do not try to move them. Instead, gently shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 5 minutes, the balls will rise to the surface. The Gulab Jamuns should rise slowly to the top if the temperature is just right. Now they must be gently and constantly agitated to ensure even browning on all sides.

If the temperature of the oil is too high then the Gulab Jamuns will tend to break. Adjust the temperature to ensure that the Gulab Jamuns do not break or cook too quickly.

The balls must be fried very slowly under medium temperatures. This will ensure complete cooking from inside and even browning.

Sugar Syrup

The syrup should be made earlier and kept warm. To make the hot sugar syrup mix the 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water. Add 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed and a few strands of saffron (kesar). Mix with a spoon and then heat at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water. Do not overheat, that will caramelize the sugar.

Transfer this hot syrup into a serving dish. Keep warm on stove. Add the fried Gulab Jamuns directly into the warm syrup. Leave Gulab Jamun balls in sugar syrup overnight for best results.

Chocolate Sauce

Melt chocolate and cream together. Then strain Gulab Jamuns from sugar syrup and put into chocolate and cream sauce.

They can be served warm or at room temperature.