Gulab Jamun (Khoya Milk Dumplings in Cardamom Syrup)

Ingredients

For 5 portions

• 🥛 200g khoya
• 🌾 30g flour
• 🧂 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 🥛 2 Tbsp milk, whole
• 🧈 60g ghee, clarified butter
• 🍚 300g sugar
• 🥤 350ml tap water
• 🌿 5 pods cardamom
• 🌿 1 pinch saffron
• 🍋 1 Tsp lemon juice
• 🌰 15g pistachio nuts, unsalted

Method

1. Makes about 20 gulab jamun (4 per portion). You also need extra ghee or neutral oil for deep frying; only about the amount listed is absorbed.
2. Syrup: put the sugar and water in a wide pan. Lightly crush the cardamom pods and add them with the saffron. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 6–8 minutes until slightly sticky between your fingers (not stringy). Stir in the lemon juice (it stops the syrup crystallising), turn off the heat and keep it warm.
3. Dough: grate or crumble the khoya into a bowl and rub it with the heel of your hand for 3–4 minutes until completely smooth, with no grains.
4. Add the flour and baking soda and mix gently, then add the milk a little at a time to make a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough. Don't knead hard – overworking makes them tough. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
5. Grease your palms with a little ghee and roll the dough into about 20 balls the size of a large marble (they swell when fried). Each must be completely smooth with no cracks, or it will split in the oil.
6. Fry: heat the ghee for frying in a kadai or deep pan over low heat to about 140 °C – a small piece of dough should sink, then rise slowly with tiny bubbles. If the ghee is too hot, the outside browns before the inside cooks.
7. Add the balls in batches without crowding. Don't stir; gently swirl the ghee around them with a spoon so they roll and colour evenly. Fry for 8–10 minutes until deep golden-brown all over.
8. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain for 30 seconds and drop straight into the warm (not hot) syrup.
9. Soak for at least 1 hour, ideally 2, until they have swollen and are soaked through to the centre.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature with a spoonful of syrup, topped with chopped pistachios.