Heavenly Gluten-free Gulab Jamun (with Khoya): No Compromise on Texture and Taste
Gulab Jamun – This Classic Indian Dessert is a party favorite! Simply put, these are deep fried balls made from a dough of milk solids, dipped in sugar syrup. This gluten-free Gulab Jamun (bite sized) recipe is simple, easy and makes 20-24 pieces.
Is Khoya Gluten-free?
Khoya/ Mawa is dried evaporated milk. Check the labeling of the brand you’re using to make sure there are no wheat ingredients listed. While most brands DO NOT have wheat, some brands may use wheat flour as a thickening agent. In case you’re not sure, you can also make khoya with milk powder.
What mistakes to avoid while making Gulab Jamuns?
Making gulab jamuns is not difficult, however do keep in mind the following tips and tricks to get the perfect taste and texture in your favorite dessert!
- Consistency of the Dough: The dough should be smooth and free of any lumps. Make sure you follow the recipe card for measurements for the perfect consistency.
- Shaping: Make sure the dough balls are shaped into balls without any cracks.
- Test the dough: Make a tiny ball and deep fry it to ensure it doesn’t split in the ghee. Then, you can proceed to frying in larger batches. This avoids oil from getting dirty if the dough splits.
- Temperature for deep-frying: If the Ghee/ oil is too hot, the crust becomes brown, however the inside may still not be cooked.
- Even frying: It is important to keep turning the dough balls periodically to ensure they are evenly cooked.
- Sugar Syrup Consistency: The sugar syrup should be adequately cooked to be sticky but not be excessively thick. On the flip side, you should also watch out against having an undercooked syrup.
- Temperature of sugar syrup: If the sugar syrup is too hot, the dough balls end up soaking excessive amount of the syrup.
How to Make Gluten-Free Gulab Jamun?
How long does Gulab Jamun stay fresh?
Gulab jamuns can be enjoyed for upto a month by storing in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When frozen, they can be stored for months! Under moderate weather conditions, Gulab jamuns can kept at room temperature for 3-4 days.
What ingredients do I need to Make Gluten-free Gulab Jamuns?
This recipe uses just a few ingredients easily found in grocery stores.
- Mawa/Khowa: Dried evaporated Milk solid aka khowa/ khoya is used in many Indian sweets. It gives the creamy, delicious taste to this dessert.
- Milk Powder: High in protein milk powder is a great thickening agent and is used for getting the creamy milk taste and a stable structure without the addition of too much moisture.
- 2% Milk: Used to bind together all ingredients to form a smooth dough.
- Cornstarch: An excellent binding and thickening agent, help keep the shape as the dough balls are deep-fried.
- Baking Powder/ Soda: I’ve used baking powder in this recipe, you can also use baking soda, but adjust the quantity to 1/4 tsp.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I used Bob’s Red Mill Flour blend to make sure the dough balls don’t break while frying or when dipped in the sugar syrup.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar/ cane sugar is used for making the sugar syrup.
- Flavor and Garnish:
- Green Cardamom Powder
- Saffron Strands
- Chopped Pistachios
- Ghee/ Oil for Deep Frying
Step by Step Process of Making Gluten-Free Gulab Jamuns
Preparation:
- In case you’re using frozen mawa, make sure the khowa is thawed and at room temperature.
- Grate the mawa using a fine grater and set aside. You can also warm it over a low flame in a thick bottomed pan with half a tsp of ghee.
- Chop the pistachios and set aside.
Making the dough:
- In a mixing bowl, add in grated mawa, and milk powder, and mix them with your fingers ensuring there are no lumps and the mixture becomes uniform.
- Add in baking powder, cornstarch and gluten-free flour and mix well. Then, add ghee and mix well. Gradually add milk, adding about a tbsp at a time making sure the dough gets incorporated well but isn’t too runny.
- I added about 6 tbsp of milk to form a smooth dough. Take about 1/2 tsp of ghee to smoothen the dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
Sugar Syrup:
- Place a thick bottomed pan on the cooktop, add in sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Keep stirring the sugar occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add in cardamom powder and a few strands of saffron for a beautiful golden color the syrup.
- Let it boil for about 4-5 minutes, and then turn of heat. Cover and set aside.
Shaping and Deep-frying:
- Apply some ghee on your palms and knead the dough for 1-2 minutes.
- Then, taking a small portion shape them into small balls. Make sure there are no cracks.*
- Place a Deep-frying pan on medium heat and add ghee/ oil for frying. Make sure there’s enough oil/ ghee for the dough balls to be immersed completely.
- Once the oil/ ghee is hot, test out the dough by taking a small dough ball and gently dropping it into the pan. As the dough ball gets cooked, it will rise up. Gently flip the ball to make sure it is fried evenly. Once the dough ball is tested successfully, deep-fry all the dough balls, taking care not to over-crowd the pan and ensure there is enough room to flip them while frying.
*In case there are cracks in the dough balls, while frying, the cracks swell up and distort the shape.
Soaking into Sugar Syrup and Garnishing:
- Make sure the sugar syrup is warm, drop the dough balls into the sugar syrup and leave them soaked for about an hour or two.
- Take out the mini gulab jamuns onto your serving dish and garnish with chopped pistachios/ almonds.
- Enjoy these delightful treats with your friends and family!
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Heavenly Gluten-Free Gulab Jamuns (with Khoya)| Simple and Easy| No compromise on Taste or texture
Gulab Jamun - This Classic Indian Dessert is a party favorite! Simply put, these are deep fried balls made from a dough of milk solids, dipped in sugar syrup. This gluten-free Gulab Jamun (bite sized) recipe is simple, easy and makes 20-24 pieces.
Ingredients
Dough
- 40 grams Khoya/ Mawa Dried, evaporated Milk, Gluten-free
- 40 grams Milk Powder
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Gluten-free Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 6-7 tbsp Milk
- ½ tsp Cardamom powder optional
Sugar Syrup
- 1½ cup Granulated white sugar
- 2 cup Water
- ½ tsp Ground Cardamom
- 6-7 Strands of Saffron
For Deep-frying
- Ghee/ Oil (Vegetable/ Refined) Per your deep-fry pan
Instructions
Preparation
- Grate the mawa using a fine grater and set aside. You can also warm it over a low flame in a thick bottomed pan with half a tsp of ghee.
- Chop the pistachios and set aside.
The dough
- In a mixing bowl, add in grated mawa, and milk powder, and mix them with your fingers ensuring there are no lumps and the mixture becomes uniform.
- Add in baking powder, cornstarch and gluten-free flour and mix well. Then gradually add milk, adding about a tbsp at a time making sure the dough gets incorporated well but isn't too runny.
- I added about 6 tbsp of milk to form a smooth dough. Take about 1/2 tsp of ghee to smoothen the dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
Sugar Syrup
- In a thick bottomed pan add in sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Keep stirring the sugar occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add in cardamom powder and a few strands of saffron for a beautiful golden color.
- Let it boil for about 4-5 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Cover and set aside.
Shaping and Deep-frying
- Apply some ghee on your palms and knead the dough for 1-2 minutes. Then, taking a small portion of the dough, shape into a small ball. Make sure there are no cracks.* Continue making with the rest of the dough.
- Place a Deep-frying pan on medium heat and add ghee/ oil for frying. Make sure there's enough oil/ ghee for the dough balls to be immersed completely.
- Once the oil/ ghee is hot, test out the dough by taking a small dough ball and gently dropping it into the pan. As the dough ball gets cooked, it will rise up. Gently flip the ball to make sure it is fried evenly. Once the dough ball is tested successfully, deep-fry all the dough balls, taking care not to overcrowd the pan and ensure there is enough room to flip them while frying.
Soak into Sugar Syrup and Garnish
- Make sure the sugar syrup is warm, drop the dough balls into the sugar syrup and leave them soaked for about an hour or two.
- Take out the mini gulab jamuns onto your serving dish and garnish with chopped pistachios/ almonds.