{"id":8498,"date":"2026-10-26T18:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8498"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:50:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:50:54","slug":"gulab-jamun","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/gulab-jamun\/","title":{"rendered":"Gulab Jamun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gulab Jamun is a South Asian sweet made by rolling a dough based mainly on milk solids into balls, frying them, and letting sweet syrup soak all the way through. Its brown surface is smooth, and when it is cut, the inside shows fine pores, so the soft milk dough and the syrup can be eaten together. It is popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and elsewhere, and it appears both on celebratory tables and in the everyday selection of sweet shops.<\/p>\n

\n\"Two\n
Gulab jamun soaking in syrup (December 25, 2021). Syrup glistens on the surface of the smooth brown balls. The location of the photo is not stated in the source description. Photo: Suyash.dwivedi \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downsized version obtained from Commons. No alterations to the content and no cropping.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Khoa, made by reducing milk, becomes the dough<\/h2>\n

The traditional base of the dough is khoa, made by cooking milk down. It is also known by other names, such as khoya and mawa. When milk is heated in a wide pan and stirred while its moisture evaporates, the milk solids come together into something like a soft paste dough. Khoa is a dairy product that gathers together the solids of milk and serves as an ingredient for sweets.<\/p>\n

There are types of khoa that are low in moisture and densely compacted, types with distinct granules, and types that are soft and retain a lot of moisture. The type suited to gulab jamun is the moist type called dhap. Its remaining moisture spreads through the maida, a refined wheat flour, and through semolina when it is added, helping them mix evenly with the other ingredients. The properties it needs differ from those of the khoa used for peda or barfi.<\/p>\n

The khoa is combined with wheat flour and a small amount of leavening agent and shaped into balls without cracks. The flour binds the dairy ingredients into a single dough, and in methods that use a leavening agent, the leavening creates pores inside during frying. Doughs heavier in flour and doughs heavier in milk, or doughs made with moist khoa and with dry khoa, end up in different states even with the same amount of added water.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s versions made from milk powder<\/h2>\n

Today, in addition to methods using fresh khoa, methods that start from milk powder or dedicated mixes are also widely used. When milk powder is used, water is added back to the dried milk solids to make the dough. Among the products of the dairy cooperative Milma is one made by combining khoa, wheat flour and skimmed milk powder, frying it, letting it absorb syrup and packing it in cans.<\/p>\n

There are also formulations that add chhena, milk curdled with acid. Chhena and khoa are both dairy ingredients, but the former is curdled with acid and drained of moisture, while the latter is milk whose moisture has been reduced by heating. Between doughs centered on khoa and doughs that combine it with chhena, the proportions of flour and moisture also change to suit the state of the milk.<\/p>\n

In Japan, home-style methods using readily available dairy products have also been introduced. The recipe from S&B Foods combines sieved cottage cheese with egg, butter and wheat flour, and uses cardamom in both the dough and the syrup. It skips the step of reducing milk to make khoa: the fried balls are soaked in syrup and chilled overnight. When the dairy product changes, the moisture in the dough, the proportion of flour and the frying conditions change as well.<\/p>\n

Before the fried color, there is the structure at the center<\/h2>\n

The shaped dough is fried slowly in ghee or vegetable fat. This step does not only brown the surface; it heats the dough through to the inside and creates a structure that the syrup can enter. During frying, moisture evaporates and the starch and milk proteins change, so the surface and the center end up in different states. Balls that have colored quickly only on the outside and balls that have been heated evenly to the center differ in both their cut surface and their texture.<\/p>\n

The oil temperature is chosen according to the dough and the equipment. Some khoa-based recipes (ingredient proportions and method) fry at around 130\u2013140\u00b0C. Vacuum frying at reduced pressure has also been studied: in trials at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, the same dough combining chhena and khoa was heated at atmospheric pressure at 160\u00b0C for 4 minutes and compared with low-pressure heating at 125\u2013145\u00b0C for 8\u201312 minutes, among other conditions. The vacuum-fried sample selected in that experiment was confirmed to contain less fat, be softer and have pores inside compared with the atmospheric-pressure sample it was compared with. Along with the formulation of the milk dough, the pressure during heating is a factor that changes the internal structure.<\/p>\n

The fried dough is transferred to syrup and given enough time to absorb it. As the syrup penetrates to the center, the result is moist and tender. The finished result depends on the combination of the syrup\u2019s concentration, temperature and soaking time with the state of the pores in the fried dough. Fine pores not only create lightness but also provide space for the syrup to enter.<\/p>\n

A rose name and a fruit-like shape<\/h2>\n

Gulab is the name for rose water, derived from the Persian gul, meaning flower, and \u0101b, meaning water. Jamun refers to a deep purple South Asian fruit, whose round shape and size are echoed in the name of the sweet. The fruit appears not as an ingredient but as a name that evokes shape and color.<\/p>\n

Besides rose water, the syrup may use cardamom, saffron or kewra. Rose water remains in the name, but the fragrance is not fixed to a single kind. Besides balls, oval and cylindrical products are also made.<\/p>\n

Sweets in which fried dough is soaked in rose-water syrup include West Asia\u2019s luqmat al-qadi, among others. However, a dough centered on khoa made from reduced milk and a fermented dough based mainly on wheat flour differ in substance. While origin stories link the sweet to the Mughal court, no reliable date has been established that ties the emergence of today\u2019s gulab jamun to a single invention by a single cook.<\/p>\n

Names that vary with color, dairy ingredient and place<\/h2>\n

Kala jamun is fried to a deeper, almost black brown. Some formulations add sugar to the dough as well, and differences in the dough before it is soaked in syrup also affect the color. Bengal\u2019s pantua, meanwhile, is known as a sweet made by frying a milk dough containing chhena and soaking it in syrup. Even where the methods are similar, a difference in ingredients\u2014whether the milk is concentrated or curdled with acid\u2014overlaps with local names.<\/p>\n

There is also dry jamun, which is lifted out of the syrup before serving. In the method of the cook Dassana Amit, the fried balls are first soaked in syrup, drained of syrup, and then coated with fine sugar or desiccated coconut. \u201cDry\u201d does not mean that the syrup is not absorbed; it refers to a form served without liquid syrup around it. In contrast to the moist dough inside, granulated sugar or coconut remains on the outside.<\/p>\n

\n\"A\n
A plate recorded as kala jamun (October 28, 2014). The dark brown surface and the pale color of the cut interior are visible. Photo: Prakrutim \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downsized version obtained from Commons. No alterations to the content and no cropping.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Nepal\u2019s festival of lights and South Africa\u2019s elongated form<\/h2>\n

In Nepal, it is popular under the name lal mohan. In a report on sweet shops in Jawalakhel in the Kathmandu Valley ahead of Tihar, it is listed as one of the items set out for the festival. During Tihar, people come to buy assortments of sweets for offerings to the goddess Lakshmi and for Bhai Tika, the celebration of brothers and sisters. Lal mohan is one of the sweets displayed at those counters alongside other milk sweets and fried sweets.<\/p>\n

In South Africa, where people of South Asian descent live, an elongated gulab jamun based mainly on condensed milk and wheat flour is also made. In a collection of traditional recipes from the local sugar maker Huletts, condensed milk is combined with ghee, semolina, nutmeg and cardamom, and wheat flour and leavening agent are added to make a dough that is shaped into short sausages. After frying, they are soaked in warm syrup for 2\u20133 minutes and finished with a coating of desiccated coconut.<\/p>\n

The occasions for eating them listed in the same collection include weddings, birthdays, prayer offerings, Diwali and Eid. This adaptation\u2014replacing the step of reducing milk to make khoa with condensed milk, making the balls elongated and soaking them in syrup only briefly\u2014also shows the sweet as it continues to be made in its local setting.<\/p>\n

\n\"Gulab\n
Gulab jamun photographed in Gibraltar (November 21, 2020). An example of serving with thin slices of nuts on top. Photo: Cabeza2000 \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downsized version obtained from Commons. No alterations to the content and no cropping.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Peda<\/strong>: A milk sweet made by combining khoa with sugar and other ingredients and shaping it into small pieces.<\/p>

Barfi<\/strong>: A group of sweets made by cooking dairy products, legume flour, nuts and other ingredients with sugar, letting the mixture set and cutting it into pieces.<\/p>

Khoa<\/strong>: A dairy product made by heating milk to reduce its moisture until it becomes a paste-like dough. Also called khoya or mawa.<\/p>

Dhap<\/strong>: A soft type of khoa that retains a lot of moisture.<\/p>

Maida<\/strong>: Refined wheat flour.<\/p>

Semolina<\/strong>: Coarsely ground wheat. Added to the dough in some formulations.<\/p>

Chhena<\/strong>: A dairy product made by curdling milk with acid and draining off the moisture.<\/p>

Ghee<\/strong>: A fat made by refining milk fat.<\/p>

Milma<\/strong>: A brand of the Kerala state federation of dairy cooperatives.<\/p>

Recipe (recette)<\/strong>: A complete set of ingredient proportions and method.<\/p>

Kewra<\/strong>: Aromatic water obtained from the male flowers of screw pine (Pandanus) species.<\/p>

Luqmat al-qadi<\/strong>: A West Asian sweet made by frying wheat-flour dough and letting it absorb sweet syrup.<\/p>

Mughal<\/strong>: A dynasty that ruled a large part of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th century onward.<\/p>

Kala jamun<\/strong>: A type of jamun fried to a dark brown.<\/p>

Pantua<\/strong>: A Bengali sweet made by frying milk dough and letting it absorb syrup.<\/p>

Lal mohan<\/strong>: A name used in Nepal for a sweet of the gulab jamun family.<\/p>

Huletts<\/strong>: A South African sugar brand. The elongated condensed-milk dough in this article is one example from a collection of traditional recipes published by the company.<\/p>

Tihar<\/strong>: Nepal\u2019s festival of lights, which involves gifts of sweets and offerings.<\/p>

Bhai Tika<\/strong>: A day in the Tihar season that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.<\/p>

Lakshmi<\/strong>: A Hindu goddess associated with wealth and prosperity.<\/p>

Diwali<\/strong>: A festival celebrated by lighting lamps. It is also an occasion for giving and eating sweets.<\/p>

Eid<\/strong>: Islamic celebrations, referring to festival days such as the end of the fast and the Festival of Sacrifice.<\/p>

Vacuum frying<\/strong>: A method of frying at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. It changes the conditions under which moisture evaporates.<\/p>

Dry jamun<\/strong>: A type of jamun served after it has absorbed syrup, with the surrounding syrup drained off.<\/p>

Dassana Amit<\/strong>: An Indian cook. This article uses the dry jamun method published by this cook as an example.<\/p>

Cottage cheese<\/strong>: A fresh cheese made by curdling milk and draining off the moisture. The formulation in this article uses it sieved.<\/p>

References<\/h2>\n
  1. INFLIBNET Khoa based sweetmeats<\/a> \u2014 Sweets made from khoa and how they are made. The full process was not re-read this time; the formulations are not a single general standard.<\/li>
  2. ARCC comparative study of vacuum frying<\/a> \u2014 Changes in oil, moisture, color, volume and other properties depending on frying conditions. A comparison under specific experimental conditions; the effects are not generalized to all methods of preparation.<\/li>
  3. Onlinekhabar Tihar sweets<\/a> \u2014 Examples of Tihar in Nepal and shops selling lal mohan. The original text was not re-read this time. Examples from individual shops.<\/li>

  4. Editorial restoration record<\/h3><\/li>

  5. The above supplement is based on \u5168\u8a18\u4e8b\u5897\u5f37_2026-10-27\/\u62c5\u5f53\/worker-a-\u53c2\u8003\u8cc7\u6599\u5fa9\u5143\u5019\u88dc42.json<\/code> and the existing research and reading materials indicated in that sheet. The parent checked the entire current reader-facing text and its correspondence with the claims, and restored the supporting sources based on existing actual reading. This is distinct from a full re-reading of the source texts or a direct inspection of the original documents this time.<\/p><\/li>

  6. \n

    S&B Foods, \u201cGulab Jamun\u201d<\/a> \u2014 The ingredients, all steps and notes were actually read. A formulation for Japan using cottage cheese, egg and wheat flour. The expression \u201cthe sweetest in the world\u201d is not adopted as a ranking based on comparative measurement.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  7. \n

    Dassana Amit, \u201cDry Jamun \/ Dry Gulab Jamun\u201d<\/a> \u2014 An individual method in which the syrup is drained off after it has been absorbed and the balls are coated with sugar or coconut. Based on an earlier actual reading and a partial re-reading this time.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  8. \n

    Huletts, \u201cA Taste of South Africa\u2019s Traditional Dishes,\u201d PDF p. 8<\/a> \u2014 One South African recipe: condensed milk, sausage shape, 2\u20133 minutes in syrup, coconut, and celebrations and offerings. The saved original page was visually checked this time by the parent and A. The year of publication is not inferred from the year in the URL.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  9. \n

    Milma, \u201cProducts \/ Gulab Jamun\u201d<\/a> \u2014 An example of the producer\u2019s own product: khoa, wheat flour and skimmed milk powder, fried in ghee, syrup, canned. The relevant part of the saved HTML was re-read by the parent this time. Distinct from re-fetching the entire current website.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  10. \n

    Uttarakhand Open University, \u201cRegional Cuisines of India II,\u201d BHM-602AT pp. 194\u2013195<\/a> \u2014 Milk doughs and regional types, sugar in the kala jamun dough, and the court theory as tradition. Based on an actual reading of the relevant pages in earlier research.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  11. \n

    Rekhta \/ Platts Dictionary, \u201cgulaab\u201d<\/a> \u2014 gul + \u0101b; the meanings of rose water and of a fruit-shaped sweet. A saved excerpt from an earlier actual reading was checked this time.<\/p>\n<\/li>

  12. \n

    Indian Institute of Science \/ India Flora, \u201cSyzygium cumini\u201d<\/a> \u2014 The common name Jamun and the dark purple to black ripe fruit. The relevant part of the saved excerpt of the original text was checked this time. Not used as permission to reproduce photos.<\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Gulab Jamun is a South Asian sweet made by rolling a dough based mainly on milk solids into balls, frying them, and letting sweet syrup soak all the way through. Its brown surface is smooth, and when it is cut, the inside shows fine pores, so the soft milk dough and the syrup can be eaten together. It is popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and elsewhere, and it appears both on celebratory tables and in the everyday selection of sweet shops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7578,"menu_order":269,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"Gulab Jamun","subtitle":"Khoa, made by reducing milk, becomes the dough","topics":"Rolling and frying a concentrated-milk dough\uff0fLetting fine pores absorb syrup\uff0fModern methods using milk powder","country":"Across India\u30fbSouth Asia","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["cream"],"texture":[],"occasion":[],"method":["fried"],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[169],"class_list":["post-8498","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t