Kala Jamun
Kala jamun is a delicious North Indian sweet dish widely used on the special
occasion, like festival or entertaining the guests. Kala jamuns are dark black
in color and beautiful to look at. Kala mean black in Hindi and jamun is an
Indian fruit which is dark purple color. This sweet name kala-jamun is supposedly named after them. Kala jamun are another version of gulab
jamun. They are prepared same way as gulab jamun, but they are larger and darker in color then gulab jamuns and their presentation is decorative. Kala jamun balls are either made round or cylindrical in shape and they are fried till they turn dark black. After soaking in the syrup they are cut in half and decorated with khoya (thicken milk) and nuts. They look very attractive. Any one will be tempted to eat them.
Kala Jamuns are prepared same way as gulab jamuns (See Gulab jamuns)
occasion, like festival or entertaining the guests. Kala jamuns are dark black
in color and beautiful to look at. Kala mean black in Hindi and jamun is an
Indian fruit which is dark purple color. This sweet name kala-jamun is supposedly named after them. Kala jamun are another version of gulab
jamun. They are prepared same way as gulab jamun, but they are larger and darker in color then gulab jamuns and their presentation is decorative. Kala jamun balls are either made round or cylindrical in shape and they are fried till they turn dark black. After soaking in the syrup they are cut in half and decorated with khoya (thicken milk) and nuts. They look very attractive. Any one will be tempted to eat them.
Kala Jamuns are prepared same way as gulab jamuns (See Gulab jamuns)
|
Ingredients:
1 Cup dry powder milk ½ Cup all purpose flour (maida) ½ Teaspoon baking powder 1 Tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil ½ Cup heavy whipping cream or as needed to make the dough 1 Teaspoon crushed cardamoms seeds Vegetable oil for frying the jamuns Cooking measurement conversion Measurement converter |
Mix of dry powder milk
and all purpose flour (maida) |
|
Ingredients for garnishing:
1 16 oz container ricotta cheese (full or part skim- substitute for khoya) ¼ Cup thin sliced almonds and pistachio ¼ Cup of sugar or to your taste. |
Ingredients for sugar syrup:
2 Cups sugar 2 Cups of water 1 Teaspoon lemon juice |
Directions for making the syrup:
1. In a pan mix sugar and water together and boil until the syrup become little
thick.
2. Add crushed cardamoms and saffron, keep string periodically.
3. Do not boil the syrup for too long, otherwise sugar will caramelize. Squeeze
lemon juice in the syrup that will keep the sugar liquid and prevent form
crystallizing.
4. Syrup should be made earlier and kept warm
1. In a pan mix sugar and water together and boil until the syrup become little
thick.
2. Add crushed cardamoms and saffron, keep string periodically.
3. Do not boil the syrup for too long, otherwise sugar will caramelize. Squeeze
lemon juice in the syrup that will keep the sugar liquid and prevent form
crystallizing.
4. Syrup should be made earlier and kept warm
In a pan mix sugar and water
|
Add cardamoms and saffron
|
Directions for making the Khoya: (cheese for decoration)
Khoya is also known as Mawa. It is difficult to find khoya outside of India but you can substitute it by using powdered milk mixed with heavy cream or ricotta cheese. Khoya is lower in moisture then ricotta cheese that is the reason we need to dry the water from the ricotta and make it like khoya.
1. Heat a non stick pan and add ricotta cheese, and cook on medium heat, keep
stirring periodically for about 8 minutes.
2. Once the ricotta cheese melt and start splattering, turn the heat to low cover
the pan and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. To make the cheese smooth
periodically keep stirring and mashing the lumps.
3. In about 20 to 30 minutes all the water will dry up, add crushed cardamoms
and sugar, mix and frequently keep stirring because khoa burn very quickly.
Khoya is also known as Mawa. It is difficult to find khoya outside of India but you can substitute it by using powdered milk mixed with heavy cream or ricotta cheese. Khoya is lower in moisture then ricotta cheese that is the reason we need to dry the water from the ricotta and make it like khoya.
1. Heat a non stick pan and add ricotta cheese, and cook on medium heat, keep
stirring periodically for about 8 minutes.
2. Once the ricotta cheese melt and start splattering, turn the heat to low cover
the pan and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. To make the cheese smooth
periodically keep stirring and mashing the lumps.
3. In about 20 to 30 minutes all the water will dry up, add crushed cardamoms
and sugar, mix and frequently keep stirring because khoa burn very quickly.
Add ricotta cheese in a pan
|
Cheese become thick
|
Directions for making the dough for Kala Jamun:
1. In a bowl mix powdered milk, all purpose flour, baking powder and oil. Add
whipping cream little at a time and knead it to make it soft and smooth dough.
The dough should be soft and smooth but not sticky. Food processor could be
used to make the dough. Keep it aside.
2. When ready to make the balls knead the dough to make it soft. If the dough
becomes dry or hard add little whip cream or few drops of water and knead
If the dough is not soft the balls will not be smooth and even.
3. Now take a portion of the dough and make a 1½ “ ball by gently rolling each
portion between your palms in to a smooth ball or over the rolling board roll
them in circular motion and make smooth and round balls. (Make about 8 to
10 balls, the amount of balls depends on the size of balls you want to make.)
1. In a bowl mix powdered milk, all purpose flour, baking powder and oil. Add
whipping cream little at a time and knead it to make it soft and smooth dough.
The dough should be soft and smooth but not sticky. Food processor could be
used to make the dough. Keep it aside.
2. When ready to make the balls knead the dough to make it soft. If the dough
becomes dry or hard add little whip cream or few drops of water and knead
If the dough is not soft the balls will not be smooth and even.
3. Now take a portion of the dough and make a 1½ “ ball by gently rolling each
portion between your palms in to a smooth ball or over the rolling board roll
them in circular motion and make smooth and round balls. (Make about 8 to
10 balls, the amount of balls depends on the size of balls you want to make.)
Dough for kala jamun
|
Kala jamuns dough balls
|
4. The balls should not have any cracks otherwise the surface of balls will not
come out smooth.
5. Place the balls on a plate and cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
Directions for frying and making the Kala Jamun:
1. Heat 2 cups of oil in a medium size pan on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or
until oil become hot.
2. Once the oil become hot turn the heat down to very low, to test it drop a little ball of dough in the oil, if the ball takes time to simmer then float up it means the oil is hot enough, if dough rises faster, oil is too hot, if dough just sits without rising, oil is not hot enough.
3. Gently slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one.
come out smooth.
5. Place the balls on a plate and cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
Directions for frying and making the Kala Jamun:
1. Heat 2 cups of oil in a medium size pan on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or
until oil become hot.
2. Once the oil become hot turn the heat down to very low, to test it drop a little ball of dough in the oil, if the ball takes time to simmer then float up it means the oil is hot enough, if dough rises faster, oil is too hot, if dough just sits without rising, oil is not hot enough.
3. Gently slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one.
Heat the oil
|
Gently slip in the balls in hot oil
|
4. At first balls will sink to the bottom of the oil, do not try to move them, with
the pierced spatula start flickering hot oil over the top of the balls, after about
1 minute turn the ball around, keep flickering the hot oil and keep turning them
around after every 2 minutes that will help to brown the top and bottom evenly.
5. The balls should be fried very gently on very low heat so that they get dark
brown evenly from outside and cook from inside. It takes about 12 to 15
minutes to fry the balls.
6. Once the balls are fried with the spatula lift them from the hot oil and shake
the oil out, and place them on a plate over paper towel, so that all the extra oil
absorbed by the towel.
the pierced spatula start flickering hot oil over the top of the balls, after about
1 minute turn the ball around, keep flickering the hot oil and keep turning them
around after every 2 minutes that will help to brown the top and bottom evenly.
5. The balls should be fried very gently on very low heat so that they get dark
brown evenly from outside and cook from inside. It takes about 12 to 15
minutes to fry the balls.
6. Once the balls are fried with the spatula lift them from the hot oil and shake
the oil out, and place them on a plate over paper towel, so that all the extra oil
absorbed by the towel.
Jamuns become dark brown
|
Place the jamuns over paper towel
|
7. Now oil is hot turn the heat down and drop the other batch of kala jamuns then raise
the heat to low that will ensure that jamun do not fry quickly. Repeat this until all the
balls are fried.
|
8. Once all the balls are fried add them in
the syrup and place the pan on the stove on low heat and give a boil and turn the heat off. 9. In few hours balls will soak the syrup. For the best result leave the jamuns balls in the syrup overnight. |
Soak the jamuns in the syrup
|
Fried and soaked Kala jamuns
10. When balls are soaked, then with a knife cut each ball in half.
With a knife cut each kala jamun in half
11 With a butter knife add a layer of khoa on each halves of Kala jamun’s and
place them in a large plate.
12. Decorate them by sprinkling the sliced pistachio and almonds.
Tips:
1. Instead of khoya you can decorate kala jamun with whipping cream.
place them in a large plate.
12. Decorate them by sprinkling the sliced pistachio and almonds.
Tips:
1. Instead of khoya you can decorate kala jamun with whipping cream.
Kala jamaun
Tips:
1. Instead of khoya you can decorate kala jamun with whipping cream.
1. Instead of khoya you can decorate kala jamun with whipping cream.
Kala jamauns
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Thank you
Geeta Seth
|
|
|
|
Other recipes:
Gulab jamun Coconut burfi
Rasgulla Carrot halwa
Rasmalai Kheer (Rice pudding)
Cashew burfi (Kaju katli) Soozi ka halwa (Cream of wheat halwa)
Gulab jamun Coconut burfi
Rasgulla Carrot halwa
Rasmalai Kheer (Rice pudding)
Cashew burfi (Kaju katli) Soozi ka halwa (Cream of wheat halwa)
Copyright © 2011 www.northindiancooking.com, All Rights Reserved
