A classic Diwali dessert, these fried semolina dumplings are spiced with fragrant cardamom and steeped in sugar syrup. The dumplings can be rewarmed in the syrup to serve, if needed.
Step 1In a medium bowl, soak the semolina in the milk for 30min.
Step 2Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the semolina bowl, then add in the melted ghee. Stir until you have a soft dough. Knead for 3-4min until smooth, then divide the dough into 20 equal-sized balls and arrange on a tray. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm.
Step 3Line a baking tray with kitchen paper. Pour enough oil into a medium-sized deep pan until the pan is ⅓ full. Heat until the oil until it measures 140°C on a food-safe thermometer. Once hot, carefully lower in 5 of the dough balls and cook for 6-8 mins, flipping half-way through the cooking time, or until they turn a dark brown colour and are firm and cooked inside (you can lift one out and cut it open to check that there is no raw dough). Once cooked, remove to prepared tray and repeat the process with the remaining balls. Set aside to cool.
Step 4Make the sugar syrup: add the sugar and 700ml water to a separate large pan and heat over low, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Add in the crushed cardamom pods, saffron and rose water then increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 8-10min or until syrup is thickened and is the consistency of maple syrup. Remove from the heat, carefully lift out and discard the cardamom husks.
Step 5Add the gulab jamun to the warm syrup and leave for at least 1hr, carefully flipping them over in the syrup halfway through the soaking time. To serve, lift the gulab jamun from the syrup and serve warm or cold, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Per serving:
Calories: 311
Protein: 6g
Total fat: 8g
Saturates: 2g
Carbs: 54g
Total sugars: 47g
Fibre: 0.4g
Our favourite Diwali recipes to celebrate the Festival of Lights
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
