Kitchen Experiment: Make Gulab Jamun From Leftover Bread

For any and every occasion, India loves to wheel out some special sweet dishes. Everybody has their own preferences but one universally loved sweet is the Gulab Jamun. And when we say ‘universally loved’, we mean it. Tins of Gulab Jamun can be found in shops all over the world and nobody is completely immune to the feeling of the warm sweet syrup oozing out with every bite. 

Traditionally, Gulab Jamun is made using heated milk solids known as khoya which are then brought together into a dough that is deep-fried and dipped in rose-flavoured sugar syrup. It’s not an overly complicated process, but since khoya isn’t something that most of us keep in our daily pantries, it’s hard to make Gulab Jamun anytime the craving strikes you. 

That’s why this recipe for Bread Gulab Jamun is so handy. It can be made with things you probably already have lying around and it’s also a great way to get rid of any stale bread you might have. This can be made with white bread, brown bread or wholewheat, depending on your preference and although it won’t taste quite the same as the Gulab Jamuns you’re used to, they definitely hit the spot. 

Ingredients:

For Jamuns

  • 6 slices of bread
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons milk for binding

For Sugar Syrup

  • 200 grams of sugar
  • 250 ml water
  • 1 tablespoon rose water

Other Ingredients

  • Oil for deep frying, as required
  • 10 to 12 pistachios - optional

Method:

Jamun Dough

  • Take 6 slices of small bread and break them into a grinder.
  • Add 3 green cardamom and grind to a fine texture.
  • Mix the bread powder with 5-6 tablespoons of milk and bring it together into a dough. 
  • Without kneading the mixture, separate and roll them into medium-sized balls.
  • You could also add chopped dry fruit or nuts at this point.

Sugar Syrup

  • Take a cup of sugar and half the amount of water and heat them together over a low flame stirring occasionally. 
  • Cook it down until it has a stringy consistency and then add rose water and a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallisation. 

Frying Bread Gulab Jamun

  • Heat 3-4 inches of oil in a deep pan and let it come up to a shimmering heat. 
  • Gently place the jamun balls into the oil and fry on a medium flame until golden. 
  • Be sure to turn them gently to avoid breaking. 
  • Remove them from the oil when evenly cooked and place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Preparing The Dish

  • Warm the sugar syrup very gently over a low flame and place the hot jamuns into the syrup. 
  • Shake the pan to coat them evenly and then leave them to sit for an hour to absorb all the syrup.
  • Serve garnished with nuts.