Giving Justice to- All Time Favorite Gulab Jamun!!

I am sitting on a judge's seat today and one of my recipes applied for justice. After hearing the verdict and looking at all the proofs, it has been noticed that these delicious Gulab Jamuns were not treated rightly at the first place. The recipe was posted last september with a hazy picture taken from a cellphone camera! This was certainly not the right way to treat a delicious and the most famous dessert. Hence justice was given to the Gulab Jamuns and Vaishali was asked to make them, take the right pictures and re-post the recipe. 

So here I am reposting the all time favorite- Gulab Jamun!! 

Hot hot Gulab Jamuns are the best way to end the meal. You just can't say "no" to this dessert. You won't believe how easy and quick it is to make these at home and they turn out unbelievably tasty.

This recipe makes about 20-24 Gulab Jamuns depending on the size of dumplings.

Ingredients: (Click here for printable version)
Instant dry milk (milk powder) – 1 cup
All purpose flour – 4 tbsp
Yogurt – 4 tbsp (or enough to knead the dough)
Clarified butter – 2 tbsp
Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
Water – 4 cups
Sugar – 3 cups
Rose essence – few drops, optional. You can use Saffron Essence too.
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp or to taste
Saffron – few strands, optional
Salt- ¼ tsp
Oil – for deep frying

Method:

1. Make the syrup in a pan by adding water, sugar, rose syrup, cardamom powder and saffron.
2. Put the pot on the flame and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.
3. Meanwhile, get the oil for deep-frying ready. Heat up the oil on low to medium heat. ( Temperature of oil is the key to make good Gulab Jamuns. Temperature has to be between low to medium)
4. For the dumplings, in a mixing bowl,add in all dry ingredients i.e instant dry milk, salt, all purpose flour and baking soda.
5. Mix well and add in the clarified butter and after that slowly start mixing in the yogurt. Make into a dough. (Yogurt is the binding factor here so don't need to add any water to make the dough)
6. Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes by covering it with a damp cloth or kitchen towel. Make desired size balls, make sure they are smooth and do not have any creases. (You can use a little oil on your hands and make the ball and flatten it out and then roll it again to a ball…this will help smoothening out the cracks)
7. Test the oil by dropping a small piece of dough, if it sits at the bottom of the pan for a few seconds before coming to the surface, the oil is ready.
8. Carefully drop 3-4 dumplings in the oil and keep rotating them for an even color.
9. Once the dumplings are a dark golden brown, take them out into a paper towel.
10. Bring the syrup to another quick boil and drop in the dumplings.
11. Turn off the flame and cover the pan and let them soak in the syrup for at least 1 hour. The more you let them sit in the syrup, the better. ( They soak up the delicious syrup, fluff up and becomes very soft)
12. Serve these HOT !