Instant Sooji Gulab Jamuns

Gulab Jamuns are a quintessential Indian sweet. You will always find it on the table during festivals, weddings or any good occasion. Now that the festival season has started and it was Teej earlier this week. I wanted to make Gulab Jamuns as a part of my Teej food but did not have mawa, neither did I have a lot of milk to make it.  So voila, I decided to make this quick and easy Instant Rava Gulab Jamuns.

They are really fuss-free and get ready in about 15 minutes. I am serious! Let them rest for 1-2 hours and enjoy the sweet delicious fruit of your labor.

OTHER POPULAR INDIAN DESSERTS:

If Indian sweets get you going then don’t forget to try these amazing fuss-free dessert recipes –

1. Teej Special Ghevar 

2. Kesar Rasmalai

3. Nolen Gurer Rosogullas

4. Rice Phirni

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
SERVINGS: About 10
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Medium

INGREDIENTS: 

For the Gulab Jamuns –

1. Suji – ¾ cup
2. Milk – 1.5 cup
3. Milk powder – 3 tablespoons
4. Sugar – 3 tablespoons
5. Ghee – 1 tablespoon
6. Oil/Ghee – for frying

For the Sugar syrup/Chaasni –

7. Sugar – ½ cup
8. Water – ½ cup
9. Cardamom powder – from 2 pods
10. Saffron Strands – a few

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

1. Heavy bottom kadhai
2. Non-stick kadhai
3. Regular Steel Pan
4. Wooden Spoon

RECIPE:

For the Gulab Jamuns –

1. Dry roast the Sooji/Semolina in a non-stick kadhai until it gets fragrant. Keep stirring constantly s that it doesn’t get burnt or turn brown. Keep it aside.

2. Take one tablespoon ghee in the same kadhai and add 1.5 cups of milk to it.
3. Now add 3 tablespoons of milk powder to it. I used the unsweetened variety. Add sugar. If your milk powder is sweet, then you can skip adding sugar to it.
4. Once the milk comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and slowly start adding the roasted sooji to it.
5. Mix constantly and cook until the sooji fluffs up and it doesn’t stick to the sides anymore.

6. Let this mixture cool for 5 minutes.

For the Sugar Syrup/Chaasni  –

7. Take ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a pan and keep it on medium to high heat.
8. Mix well until the sugar is completely dissolved.
9. Now add in a few strands of saffron and cardamom powder from the seeds of 2 pods.
10. Cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes and then cover it and keep aside.

For frying the Gulab Jamuns –

11. Heat oil in a kadhai. I used a small one since I didn’t want to use a lot of oil.
12. Make small rounds of the cooled down sooji dough. Remember they get double up in size once you add them to the sugar syrup, so make sure that you make small rounds.
13. Once the oil is hot, turn it on medium heat. Add 2-3 balls at a time so that you don’t crowd the kadhai.
14. Cook well on all the sides until it gets brown.
15. Dunk hot gulab jamun balls in hot sugar syrup. Let them sit for 1-2 hours so that they absorb all the sugary goodness and double up.

Serve the Gulab Jamuns hot. I made this festive thali for Teej – Chole, Pooris, Matar Paneer, and Boondi Raita. And served up these Instant Sooji Gulab Jamuns as a dessert.