Do your Gulab Jamuns crack while frying or stay hard inside? We bring you super easy tips to make soft, crack-free jamuns using khoya, milk powder, and maida this Diwali.
You often fry Gulab Jamuns until they turn perfectly brown on the outside. But the dough remains uncooked and hard inside. Sometimes the jamuns break the moment you drop them in oil. They stay hard like a stone even after you soak them in sugar syrup. You face this issue mainly because you do not knead the khoya or milk powder dough properly. Let us look at how you can make perfect Gulab Jamuns at home.
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Why do lumps form in the dough?
You can prepare Gulab Jamun dough using khoya, paneer, maida, or milk powder. Lumps form for different reasons in each method. You will get small lumps in the dough if you use dry and hard khoya. You also get lumps when you pour milk powder without sifting it or when you add the wrong amount of water or milk. You make another big mistake when you knead the dough too hard. This ruins the softness of the jamuns.
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Follow these tips to make lump-free Gulab Jamun
Knead the khoya well first
You must take the khoya out of the fridge first if you are making jamuns with it. You should knead it well with your hands or sift it through a sieve once it reaches room temperature.
Sift the milk powder before use
You must sift the milk powder well along with maida and baking powder when you make jamuns. This breaks the small lumps in the dough and mixes everything evenly. You should add milk or water little by little while kneading instead of pouring it all at once.
You should not knead the Gulab Jamun dough tightly like chapati dough. You must gently mix all the ingredients with your hands and knead them softly. You can sprinkle a little water if the dough feels too dry.
Test a small ball before frying
You should roll a small ball to test once the dough is ready. The surface must look smooth without any cracks. You need more moisture in the dough if you see cracks. You should add a little milk and gently knead it again.
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What to do if there are lumps in the dough?
You should gently break large lumps with your fingers and knead them back into the dough. You can gently knead the dough once more with your hands if you are using khoya.
Get the sugar syrup consistency right
Your jamuns will stay hard inside if the balls are too big or the oil temperature is wrong, even if the dough has no lumps.
You must ensure the sugar syrup is not too thick. The jamuns will absorb the sweetness easily only if the syrup has the right consistency. You should drop the jamuns in the sugar syrup and leave them for at least 2 to 3 hours to soak and become soft.
