Rava Jamun | Rava Gulab Jamun | Deepavali 2019 Special Recipes By Masterchefmom

Hi Supermoms,

The biggest Indian festival Deepavali/Diwali is just two weeks away. 

The festival is the celebration of the Victory of Knowledge and removal of ignorance. We celebrate it by cooking and sharing home made sweets and savouries with family, friends and neighbours. For every Indian, the festival is filled with nostalgia and food memories. Gulab Jamun is one of the most popular and delicious sweet that is made in many homes. Personally, Gulab Jamun is a dessert that always reminds me of my grandmother. Whenever she used to visit us she would get a tall glass bottle filled with gulab jamun. Silently my brother and myself would gobble a few pieces and the bottle would get empty in lightening speed 😀. 

The dessert tastes exotic and makes one feel that it might be difficult to make them at home. Made using milk and sugar, the fried dough balls are soaked in sugar syrup. With patience and practise this dessert can be mastered. My Mother-In-Law Prema,  is an expert in making Indian Desserts and Savouries and this year she is here with us for Deepavali. 

I requested her to share some easy to follow yummy treats for this festival season so that many of you can try and share with your family and friends. She very lovingly agreed and today she has shared the recipe to make Rava Jamuns. 

The Rava Jamuns have minimum ingredients that can be found easily in any Indian Kitchen. It also takes less time and effort to cook them. I shared the making video in my instagram and it was amazing to see your love and response to the rava jamuns. On all your request, I am sharing the detailed recipe here. 

Rava Jamun Recipe :

Preparation time : 5 minutes

Cooking time : 50 minutes 

Makes : 40 medium size jamuns

1 cup = 250 ml cup

Storage : Keeps good for upto 7 days when refrigerated and stored in a clean, dry, odour free bottle .

Ingredients :

To make the jamun dough:

1 cup rava/cream of wheat/ semolina ( I used regular upma rava)

2 cups milk ( boiled and cooled ) ( room temperature) ( I used carton milk)

1 teaspoon ghee/clarified butter

To fry :

1-2 cups oil ( I used ground nut oil)

For sugar syrup :

1&1/2 cups sugar

3 cups water

6-7 green cardamom (remove skin and powder)

10-15 strands saffron/kesar

few drops rose essence ( optional)

Method:

1. Heat a kadai and roast rava over low flame till they are hot to touch .

Chef tip: Do not over roast. The rava needs to be just hot.

2. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously so that there are no lumps.

Chef tip: If you find this step challenging, then you can allow the rava to cool down after roasting. Add milk ( 2 cups)  and then place the kadai back on low heat and start stirring.

3. Keep stirring till the entire mixture becomes one thick lump.

Chef tip : You can pinch a small portion and check if you are able to roll. If you are unable to roll, then place the kadai back on low flame and continue stirring.

4. Switch off and allow it to become warm to touch  and knead. 

5. Apply ghee on your palms and knead the dough for approximately 4-5 minutes or till they become soft.

Chef tip : This is an important step to avoid cracks in the jamun ( while frying).

6. Pinch small portions and shape them into equal sized oblongs or balls .

Note : Avoid rolling them too tightly

7. Heat a small wok/kadai with oil and when the oil is hot, drop these shaped jamuns and fry them over low heat till they turn golden brown on all sides. 

Chef tips : Try to use an iron kadai/wok to get a great jamun colour. Also, fry only on low flame. To check if the oil is of the right temperature, drop a small piece of the jamun dough into the oil. If they sizzle and rise up immediately, the oil is ready. Do not over heat oil, else the jamuns will brown quickly on the outside and will not cook through. 

8. Once the jamuns have browned , drain them in a kitchen towel. 

Chef tip : Fry the jamuns in batches to avoid over crowding.

9. Now, to make the sugar syrup, heat a heavy bottom vessel or wide pan with sugar and water .

10. Add the powdered cardamom, saffron and rose essence ( if adding).

11. Keep stirring intermittently till the syrup thickens a little and you get a one string consistency. 

Chef tip : You can switch off a few seconds before you get the one string consistency. Check my video  to see how to determine the one string consistency of sugar syrup. If the syrup is too thick, it will Crystallise when cold. You can add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to avoid it. 

12. When the sugar syrup is ready, switch off and immediately add the fried jamuns.

13. Allow it to soak in the syrup for at least an hour before you serve them.

Your delicious Rava Jamuns are ready to be enjoyed this festival season. I am sure you will enjoy making these Rava Jamuns . 

Wishing you all a very Happy Deepavali !

With love,

Masterchefmom