Day 18: Gulab Jamun

Guest blogger: My dear friend MaDihaMy earliest memories of Ramazan are from when I was a child in Islamabad. Fasting was exciting - it was something you had to be “old enough” to do. Iftar was fun, as was sehri. When my brother and I were younger, my parents would insist we eat paratha and egg of some sort. As we got older, our preferences shifted towards peanut butter sandwiches or cold cereal. The one constant though, was that we had to have plain yogurt. My father insisted that it hydrates and prevents one from feeling thirsty. I believe he was on to something because despite the heat, the lack of central air conditioning, days spent playing in the sun, we somehow survived :-)Iftar was the usual: fruit chaat (salad) for my brother, chana (chickpea) chaat for me, potato pakoras for my brother, mixed pakoras for Papa and I, dahee baray (lentil dumplings in a yogurt sauce) for all of us. My mother is diabetic and didn’t fast, but she prepared so much for us, as well as for the staff in the house that was also fasting. It was quite a daily production. But my favorite of all was when she would make gulab jaamuns. There are so many wonderful desserts from South East Asia, but gulab jaamuns are simply my favorite. And I'm picking this recipe/tradition because I believe my bond with Salma has deepened over this dessert! Here I’ll share with you the recipe I use, adapted from my friend Ayesha Saifullah and my mom’s recipes.Gulab Jamun For the balls:1 and a 1/2 cup powdered milk (I use Nido)3/4 cup  all-purpose flour1 and a 1/4 tsp baking powder200 ml heavy whipping creama few pinches of crushed saffrona few crushed cardamom seeds2 cups of cooking oil to deep fry the gulab jaamun Sugar Syrup to soak the gulab jaamuns in:3 cups sugar4 cups watersaffron4-5 cardamom podsa very small piece of cinnamon stick1 cloveHeat oil in a deep frying pan or a small wok on high. Once high, turn the heat to medium (it must be on medium for about 5-10 minutes before you begin to fry the balls). This is one of those steps that I have no explanation for, but Papa taught me this, and I believe it helps evenly fry anything that has a doughy consistency.Make the syrup on a separate stove by combining sugar and water with the cinnamon, clove, saffron and cardamom in a large wide pot. Let it simmer on medium while you make and fry the gulab jamuns.Once oil is medium or slightly lower, fry the balls of dough in batches of 10 and using a slotted spoon, keep rolling them in the oil to ensure even frying. When evenly brown across, remove from oil and put on a paper towel lined tray or plate. Once all gulab jaamuns are fried, put in syrup, reduce heat to low and cover.TIP: You can freeze these in airtight container once they’ve been soaked. To serve, defrost in refrigerator overnight and warm up in the microwave right before serving (about 20-30 seconds).Wishing everyone a Ramazan filled with sweet memories!Day 18, Tradition 18: Gulab Jaamun