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waffle balls (himalayan gulab jamun)

Northwestgal avatar
Recipe by
Vickie Parks
@Northwestgal
Renton, WA

Gulab Jamun (often called 'Waffle Balls'), is a sweet snack common in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. They're served at various events including weddings, Hindu festival of Diwali (Indian festival of lights) and Muslim celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. They have a spongy texture and they're deep fried in hot oil and then dipped in a sweet syrup. They can range in flavors, but the dough is usually made with flour, dry milk powder and various spices or nuts, and they're dipped in a simple syrup that's flavored with rose water or various spices (usually cardamom or nutmeg).

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yield 18 serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Deep Fry

Ingredients For waffle balls (himalayan gulab jamun)

  • 4 cups
    cooking oil (for deep-frying)
  • 2 cups
    water
  • 1 cup
    granulated sugar
  • 5 sm
    cardamom
  • 2-3 drops
    rosewater (optional)
  • 1 cup
    dry milk powder
  • 1 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp
    all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp
    finely chopped pistachio nuts
  • 1 Tbsp
    butter or ghee
  • 1 lg
    egg, lightly beaten

How To Make waffle balls (himalayan gulab jamun)

  • 1
    Heat oil over low heat in a heavy-duty skillet with high sides.
  • 2
    In a large saucepan, bring water, sugar, cardamom and rose water (if using) to a boil. Once the mixture reaches a boil, turn heat to very low and let simmer for 1 minute. Turn off heat but leave pan on stove burner.
  • 3
    In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry milk powder, baking powder, flour and chopped pistachios. Add the butter (or ghee), and use your fingers to mix until it begins to form a dough. Add the egg, and knead in a circular motion with slight pressure until it begins to form a dough ball. Dough shouldn't be dry, and it should have a slight sheen (or shine) to it.
  • 4
    Divide dough into 18 equal size balls. Gently drop the dough balls into the skillet of hot oil, and let deep-fry for about 2 minutes. (Dough is delicate at this point, so during the first couple minutes of frying it's best to not use utensils to turn dough or they might fall apart.) Let dough cook another 3 to 4 minutes in the hot oil, now using a spoon to occasionally turn dough to ensure even browning. The dough balls should rise to the top and be lightly browned and expanded in size. Use a slotted spoon to transfer dough balls to double-lined paper towels to absorb excess oil and to cool a bit.
  • 5
    Drop the slightly cooled dough balls in the saucepan with hot syrup, and let stand in hot syrup for about 15 to 30 minutes to soak up some of the syrup. Use a spoon to transfer dough balls to a serving dish. Allow 2 to 3 hours to cool, and serve them later at room temperature.
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