The fascinating story of Gulab Jamun

While on the road to the state of Lucknow, via the Delhi-Shahjahanpur-Lucknow National Highway 24, one comes across half a kilometer stretch of sweet delight which definitely makes their heart skip a beat. This stretch could be located to Maigalganj village of Lakhimpur district and is dotted with over a hundred shops, most of them named as ‘Mashhoor Gulab Jamun Ki Dukan’, that sell fresh, piping hot Gulab Jamuns in earthen plates. It is a well-known ritual among the passengers passing by in buses and cars to stop, eat and get some of it packed for family and friends.

For Indians, a round, or flat or cylindrical shaped saccharine and syrupy mithai, is all that we crave for after a meal and Gulab Jamun, undoubtedly, is one such delightful and gratifying sweetmeat.

Gulab Jamun is a milk-solid-based sweet made mainly from milk solids, traditionally from ‘khoya’, which is milk reduced to the consistency of a soft dough. Some modern recipes suggest using dried or powdered milk instead of khoya. Gulab Jamun is often garnished with dry fruits like almonds and cashews to enhance flavour. The word "Gulab" is derived from the Persian words ‘gol’ meaning flower and ‘ab’ meaning water, referring to the rose water-scented syrup. "Jamun" is the Hindi word for an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum.

Historically, there are many different fascinating stories pertaining to the origins of Gulab Jamun. As per one folklore, it was accidentally invented by Shah Jahan’s royal chef or ‘Khansama’ who took inspiration from Persian or Turkish traditions and some local sweet makers. Fascinatingly, the Persian sweet delight ‘Bamieh’ and the Turkish ‘Tulumba’ are both quite similar to the Gulab Jamun in terms of flavor, texture and ingredients. Both of them are spongy ball like lumps of dough fried and soaked in sugar syrup. However, they are served cold. These sweets could have been the inspiration for the Mughal cooks. The Arab dessert ‘Luqmat al-Qadi’ is also similar to Gulab Jamun, but it uses a different batter.

Michael Krondl, eminent food historian and writer mentions in his book ‘The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin’ how Persian invaders brought with them a “round fritter that eventually became gulab jamun (gulab comes from the Persian word for rose, while jamun refers to a local fruit).” He further adds, “The Indian recipe is more complex than in the Middle East, requiring a mixture of dried and fresh milk thickened with flour. But as in Iran, the mixture is fried and soaked in rosewater syrup”.

With the passage of time, many regional varieties of Gulab Jamun arose, each having a captivating story of its own. One such variation is the dessert ‘Ledikeni’, from West Bengal. It is cylindrical in shape and that is the only difference between it and the Gulab Jamun. Ledikeni has an exciting story behind it being named so. In the 1850s, Bhim Chandra Nag, one of Calcutta’s brilliant confectioner was asked to prepare a special sweet for Lady Canning, the wife of Governer General Lord Charles Canning, who was coming to India to be with her husband. The sweet impressed Lady Canning, and she became so fond of it that the locals soon started referring to it as ‘Ledikeni’- a mispronunciation of her name!

Today, Gulab Jamun forms a part of the ‘spiritus mundi’ of majority of Indians. With time, it has become popular in other places as well. It is savored in Nepal and Pakistan, where it goes by the name Gulab Jamun only. In Maldives, it is known as ‘Gulaabujaanu’ and in Bangladesh and Myanmar, as ‘Gulab Jam’. It is also common in Mauritius, Fiji, the Malay Peninsula, South Africa, and the Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago, where, interestingly, it is called ‘Rasgulla’.

Here is a look at a basic recipe for Gulab Jamun, which could be easily tried at home.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups (250 grams) khoya

2. 5 tablespoons plain flour (maida)

3. 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder

4. Ghee for deep frying

5. 3 cups sugar

6. A few saffron strands

Method

For sugar syrup:

1. In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

2. Simmer over a slow flame till the syrup is of 1 string consistency.

3. Remove any impurities which float on top of the syrup using a slotted spoon.

4. Add the saffron and keep the syrup warm.

For the Gulab Jamuns:

1. In a bowl, combine the khoya, flour and cardamom powder and mix well. Knead to a firm dough without using any water.

2. Divide this mixture into 25 equal portions and roll into rounds. These should have no cracks on the surface as otherwise the Gulab Jamuns will crack while frying. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Deep fry in ghee over a slow flame till they are golden brown in color.

4. Drain and immerse in the warm sugar syrup. Soak for 30 minutes.

5. Serve warm.