We be (Gulab) Jamun… an out-of-the-ordinary dairy dessert for Shavuos / Shavuot Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- Cardamom seeds (slice open a pod and toss a few in)
- OR 1/2 Tbsp rosewater
- 1 cup Bisquick mix (or make your own)
- 2 cups dry milk powder (no substitute)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp milk (or more, as needed)
- Oil for deep frying How to make them:
View Full Recipe at Adventures in BreadLand
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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhen%20I%20was%20a%20toddler,%20my%20father%20flew%20to%20India%20with%20an%20Indian%20friend%20and%20had%20the%20time%20of%20his%20life.%20%20He%20came%20back%20with%20a%20pair%20of%20lovely%20white%20linen%20%22day%20pyjamas%22%20that%20he'd%20save%20for%20special%20occasions,%20a%20love%20of%20delicate%20nose%20piercings%20and%20an%20insatiable%20appetite%20for%20Indian%20food.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E(For%20some%20weird%20reason,%20my%20father%20hated%20ear%20piercings%20for%20girls%20but%20told%20me%20as%20I%20grew%20up%20that%20it%20would%20be%20just%20fine%20if%20I%20got%20my%20nose%20pierced.%20%20And%20indeed,%20he%20didn't%20flinch%20when%20I%20eventually%20got%20one.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAh,%20but%20Indian%20food.%20%20Fortunately,%20that%20was%20one%20appetite%20which%20he%20shared%20generously%20with%20us%20(except%20his%20love%20of%20okra).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESince%20moving%20to%20Israel,%20I've%20been%20on%20a%20quest%20for%20good%20Indian%20food%20here,%20which%20has%20not%20really%20gone%20well.%20%20There%20was%20a%20place%20in%20Jerusalem%20for%20a%20while,%20but%20apparently%20it%20is%20no%20longer%20under%20hashgacha.%20%20The%20food%20wasn't%20THAT%20great%20anyway,%20at%20least,%20not%20compared%20to%20the%20Coxwell%20&%20Gerard%20corridor%20I%20used%20to%20haunt%20in%20Toronto%20before%20I%20started%20keeping%20kosher.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMost%20Indian%20food%20is%20easy%20enough%20to%20replicate%20at%20home.%20%20Sometimes,%20I%20make%20various%20curries,%20samosas%20and%20more.%20%20When%20I%20took%20the%20big%20kids%20to%20a%20kosher%20Indian%20restaurant%20in%20NYC,%20my%20daughter%20took%20one%20bite%20and%20said,%20%22You%20make%20better%20Indian%20food%20than%20this.%22%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20it's%20true;%20I%20do.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20the%20best%20thing%20about%20Indian%20food%20is%20the%20sweets.%20%20Milky,%20dense,%20syrupy%20sweet,%20concealing%20mysterious%20scents%20of%20cardamom%20and%20rosewater.%20%20Burfi,%20Jellabi,%20and%20especially,%20plump,%20juicy%20Gulab%20Jamuns...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20they%20became%20my%20Shavuos%20tradition,%20and%20have%20been%20ever%20since.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThey%20might%20not%20look%20like%20much,%20but%20they%20are%20powerfully%20dense%20and%20rich.%20%20Like%20donuts,%20which%20are%20usually%20nearly%20sugarless,%20almost%20none%20of%20the%20sweetness%20comes%20from%20the%20balls%20themselves.%20%20Instead,%20they%20are%20triply%20milky,%20from%20the%20combination%20of%20lots%20of%20powdered%20milk%20mixed%20with%20a%20little%20liquid%20milk%20and%20butter%20(and%20flour).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThey're%20super-easy%20to%20make,%20but%20demand%20a%20few%20ingredients%20that%20don't%20come%20to%20hand%20easily%20in%20an%20Israeli%20kitchen:%20%20milk%20powder,%20for%20example,%20and%20Bisquick.%20%20(Yes,%20that's%20authentic.%20%20Most%20Indian%20websites%20recommend%20using%20it!)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELuckily,%20it's%20easy%20enough%20to%20use%20Israeli%20margarine%20to%20make%20%22fake%20Bisquick.%22%20%20Here%E2%80%99s%20the%20recipe%20I%20used.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20fake%20milk%20powder.%20%20So%20a%20few%20weeks%20ago,%20I%20ordered%20some%20from%20an%20online%20supplier,%20sat%20back,%20and%20hoped%20for%20the%20best,%20both%20in%20terms%20of%20delivery%20time%20and%20that%20it%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20be%20opened%20at%20customs.%20%20It%20arrived%20with%20no%20problem.%20%20Yay!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBefore%20you%20make%20the%20balls,%20prepare%20a%20simple%20sugar-water%20syrup.%20%20Then,%20deep-fry%20the%20balls%20and%20toss%20them%20into%20the%20syrup%20to%20soak%20up%20the%20goodness.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou%20can%20flavour%20the%20syrup%20with%20rose%20water%20or%20cardamom%20(both%20easy%20to%20get%20here%20in%20Israel)%20for%20a%20more%20interesting%20flavour.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETraditional%20Shavuos%20Gulab%20Jamun%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMakes%20about%2022%20balls.%20What%20you%E2%80%99ll%20need:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFirst,%20add%20sugar%20and%20water,%20and%20cardamom/rosewater,%20if%20using,%20to%20a%20smallish%20saucepan.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBring%20to%20a%20boil%20and%20continue%20boiling%20until%20sugar%20is%20completely%20dissolved.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETurn%20off%20heat%20and%20pour%20syrup%20into%20an%208%20x%208%20square%20pan%20to%20cool.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMix%20milk%20powder%20&%20bisquick%20in%20a%20large%20mixing%20bowl.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20butter%20and%20enough%20milk%20to%20make%20a%20VERY%20DRY%20dough%20consistency.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERoll%20dough%20into%20balls%20(I%20used%20a%20VERY%20generous%20tablespoon%20of%20dough)%20and%20allow%20to%20sit,%20covered,%20for%2020%20minutes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAfter%2020%20minutes,%20heat%20oil%20in%20a%20pot%20or%20deep%20fryer.%20%20The%20heat%20should%20be%20medium-low;%20the%20balls%20need%20to%20cook%20through%20before%20they%20burn%20on%20the%20outside.%20%20Apparently,%20230F%20is%20ideal,%20if%20you%20have%20a%20thermometer.%20%20(See%20below%20for%20instructions%20on%20testing%20the%20oil%20temperature%20without%20a%20thermometer.)%3C/p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