Gulab Jamun is a delicious, popular sweet made by frying jamun mix dough balls and dunking it in flavoured sugar syrup. Gulab Jamun is an anytime snack or a dessert that could be made easily & quickly with store bought jamun mix. Instant Gulab Jamun makes moments a celebration.
Gulab Jamun – This is one of the easy and quick sweets you can make for any occasion or festival. Gulab Jamun Recipe using instant mix with step by step pictures.
About Instant Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun is a popular Indian sweet made for any festival or occasion. The word ‘gulab’ translates to ‘rose’ in hindi and ‘jamun’ to ‘berry’. So gulab jamun is a berry sized rose flavored sweet.
Traditionally gulab jamun is made using khoya or milk solids but this instant version of gulab jamun using ready made mix is the quickest and easiest to make anytime. Preparing gulab jamun using ready store bought mix reduces cooking time yet gives delicious soft jamuns.
Year after year the most requested recipe here is this but I kept postponing it as I myself had to give few trials before posting this gulab jamun recipe here. I have seen amma make this few times but have never tried it on my own. When I started blogging I tried it once and it flopped after that I didn’t dare to try it at all even after trying few jamun recipes. Have helped amma few times but didn’t gain courage to try it on my own. And finally I tried and it came out so soft and melts in the mouth.
Ingredients
- Jamun mix : You can use any brand jamun mix. But make sure to sieve and use to avoid lumps. Also measure after sieving.
- Sugar : Use white crystallized sugar free from specks or any dirt.
- Ghee / Oil : You can use 2 tablespoon ghee along with oil for deep frying. Or fry entirely in oil or ghee too.
- Flavoring : You can use saffron and rose essence together for a great flavor. In addition you can add a pinch of cardamom powder too.
Other Jamun Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Gulab Jamun | Instant Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
- 1 cup jamun mix
- water as needed
- oil to deep fry
- chopped pistachios just for garnish
- ghee to grease your palm
For the sugar syrup :
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 5 strands saffron
Instructions
- Take any jamun mix, I used MTR mix. Transfer to a sieve and sieve it well. If there are lumps, press with your fingers and sieve it.
- Then measure and take it in a mixing bowl. Add water little by little. I used little less than 1/4 cup water. You can replace water with milk too.
- It should just get together to form a sticky mass. Do not knead just use your finger tips for mixing. Do not panic seeing the sticky dough, if the dough is stiff your jamuns will become dry and start to break while frying. Keep the dough aside for 15 mins.
- Take sugar in a pan, add water to it.
- Let it boil, add saffron. Mix it for the sugar to dissolve quickly.
- Boil the syrup until it forms a thick syrup no consistency check needed but the syrup will look more like oil in consistency. It will be glossy just like oil.
- Add rose essence and set aside to cool. Now after 15 mins take the dough.
- Grease your palm with ghee, pinch the dough and roll into a small smooth ball without any cracks. Do not give pressure while rolling.
- Heat oil in a kadai - the oil should not be smoking hot. Pinch a tiny piece of dough and add it to oil, it should rise to top slowly that is the right temperature. If the dough rises immediately lower the flame. So keep in low medium flame through out the process and keep adjusting the flame.
- Add few balls , While frying do not touch the balls just swirl the oil using a ladle /spoon this way the jamuns will get evenly fried. The jamun grows bigger while frying.
- Keep swirling the oil and fry until golden brown in low medium flame.
- Remove and drain in tissue paper. Leave in tissue paper for 2 mins. Once the jamuns and the syrup is warm add the jamuns to sugar syrup.
- Let it soak at least for 2 hours before you serve. After that if you want you can refrigerate it.
- Serve Gulab Jamun warm or chilled.
Notes
Making gulab jamun dough perfectly
- Always sieve the jamun mix before using.
- Measure the mix only after sieving then add water accordingly little by little to get a sticky dough.
- The dough should be sticky only then you can shape jamuns without cracks.
- You can replace water with milk to make the dough.
Making crack free gulab jamun balls
- Add water little by little to form a sticky dough. Do not add more water else it will become watery.
- Do not apply pressure while rolling the balls, also do not roll tight. Make sure to grease your palm to get smooth crack free balls.
- I made small balls so got around 20 small jamuns for 1 cup jamun mix.
Making perfect sugar syrup consistency
- Always double the sugar quantity. So 1(jamun mix) : 2(sugar).
- Water should be same as the sugar measure.
- Make the sugar syrup such that it is sticky while touching with your fingers.
- If the sugar syrup isn't enough then the jamun will not get doubled in size so use the mentioned quantity.
- You can add cardamom powder for extra flavor.
- I love it with saffron and rose essence.
Frying the jamuns perfectly
- I usually use oil for frying jamuns. But you can use 2 tablespoon ghee along with oil to fry for a great flavor.
- Oil temperature should be perfect if its too hot then the jamuns will brown on the outside without cooking inside.
- Always while frying, stir in the oil without touching the jamuns much for even frying.
- Oil should not be smoking hot. Pinch a tiny piece of dough and add it to oil, it should rise to top slowly that is the right temperature. If the dough rises immediately lower the flame. So keep in low medium flame through out the process and keep adjusting the flame.
Adding fried jamuns to sugar syrup
- Both the sugar syrup and jamuns should be warm not too hot while adding the jamuns.
- Do not add jamuns to very hot syrup else the jamuns may break.
- Also be gently while mixing.
- Rest for at least 2 hours for it to absorb the syrup.
How to make Gulab Jamun
1.Take any instant jamun mix packet, I used MTR 200 gms packet. Empty the packet inside a sieve.
2.Sieve it well to make sure there are no lumps.If there are lumps, press with your fingers and sieve it. Sieved jamun mix ready.
3.Now measure and set aside. It will be approximately 2 cups after sieving for this 200 gms packet. I measured and used only 1 cup today. 
4.Add the measured jamun mix into a mixing bowl.
5.Add around 1/4 cup water to it. Then add little by little and mix well. You can replace water with milk too.
6.It should just get together to form a sticky mass. Do not knead, do not apply pressure just use your finger tips for mixing.You can even use your spatula to mix.
7.The dough will be sticky.
8.Do not panic seeing the sticky dough, if the dough is stiff ur jamuns will become dry and start to break while frying.Keep the dough aside for 15 mins.Do not knead or apply pressure while mixing.
9.Set aside for 10 mins as per pack instructions.
10.Take 2 cups sugar in a pan. 
11.For 1 cup jamun mix its 2 cups sugar.
12.Add 2 cups water to it.
13.Start boiling the syrup.
14.Mix well so that the sugar dissolves completely.
15.Add saffron to it. Crush and add it.
16.Let it boil well for 10 mins.
17.Boil the syrup until it is sticky when you touch with your fingers.
18.No consistency check needed but the syrup will look more like oil in consistency. It will be glossy just like oil.
19.At this stage, switch off and add rose water or rose essence.Set aside.
20.Now after 15 mins take the dough. Grease your palm with ghee. 
21.Pinch the dough and roll into a small smooth ball without any cracks. Do not give pressure while rolling.Grease palms once in a while to avoid sticking.
22.Repeat to finish.
23.Heat oil in a kadai – the oil should not be smoking hot. Pinch a tiny piece of dough and add it to oil, it should rise to top slowly that is the right temperature. If the dough rises immediately lower the flame.So keep in low medium flame through out the process and keep adjusting the flame.
24.Add few balls , While frying do not touch the balls just swirl the oil using a laddle/spoon this way the jamuns will get evenly fried. The jamuns grows bigger while frying.
25.Keep swirling the oil and fry until golden brown in low medium flame.
26.Fry until deep red in color.
27.Remove.
28.Drain in tissue paper.Leave in tissue paper for 2 mins.
29.Once the jamuns and the syrup is warm add the jamuns to sugar syrup.
30.Let it soak atleast for 2 hours before you serve. After that if you want you can refrigerate it.
31. Jamuns are ready. Serve warm or chilled.
Gulab jamuns soaking and will be ready in another 2 hours.
Expert Tips
Making gulab jamun dough perfectly
- Always sieve the jamun mix before using.
- Measure the mix only after sieving then add water accordingly little by little to get a sticky dough.
- The dough should be sticky only then you can shape jamuns without cracks.
- You can replace water with milk to make the dough.
Making crack free gulab jamun balls
- Add water little by little to form a sticky dough. Do not add more water else it will become watery.
- Do not apply pressure while rolling the balls, also do not roll tight. Make sure to grease your palm to get smooth crack free balls.
- I made small balls so got around 20 small jamuns for 1 cup jamun mix.
Making perfect sugar syrup consistency
- Always double the sugar quantity. So 1(jamun mix) : 2(sugar).
- Water should be same as the sugar measure.
- Make the sugar syrup such that it is sticky while touching with your fingers.
- If the sugar syrup isn’t enough then the jamun will not get doubled in size so use the mentioned quantity.
- You can add cardamom powder for extra flavor.
- I love it with saffron and rose essence.
Frying the jamuns perfectly
- I usually use oil for frying jamuns. But you can use 2 tablespoon ghee along with oil to fry fro a great flavor.
- Oil temperature should be perfect if its too hot then the jamuns will brown on the outside without cooking inside.
- Always while frying, stir in the oil without touching the jamuns much for even frying.
- Oil should not be smoking hot. Pinch a tiny piece of dough and add it to oil, it should rise to top slowly that is the right temperature. If the dough rises immediately lower the flame.So keep in low medium flame through out the process and keep adjusting the flame.
Adding fried jamuns to sugar syrup
- Both the sugar syrup and jamuns should be warm not too hot while adding the jamuns.
- Do not add jamuns to very hot syrup else the jamuns may break.
- Also be gently while mixing.
- Rest for atleast 2 hours for it to absorb the syrup.
Variations
- You can use milk instead of water for making the dough.
- You can fry completely in oil or ghee too.
- If you don’t like saffron flavor skip it and add cardamom powder instead. But I would strongly recommend to add rose essence.
- You can add stuffed nuts and dry fruits in the middle of the jamun too.
Storage
- It keeps well in fridge for atleast a week.
- Keeps well in room temperature for 2 days.
You can just follow the pack instructions to get perfect gulab jamun. However the tips and tricks I have shared here will surely help beginners.
FAQs
1.What is Gulab Jamun?
Gulab jamun is a popular Indian sweet made for any festival or occasion. The word ‘gulab’ translates to ‘rose’ in hindi and ‘jamun’ to ‘berry’. So gulab jamun is a berry sized rose flavored sweet.
2.What is Instant Gulab Jamun Mix made of?
Instant gulab jamun mix is made using milk solids, maida(all purpose flour) and some leavening agent mostly cooking soda(sodium bi carbonate)
3.How to make soft Gulab Jamun?
Make the dough correctly and rolling it without applying pressure is the key to get perfect soft gulab jamun.
4.Why is my jamun hard? How to make it soft?
If the jamun balls are rolled right then gulab jamun will be hard even after soaking in sugar syrup. May be you can try adding in slightly hot syrup.
5.How to make smooth crackfree Gulab Jamun?
Make a sticky dough, grease your palm and roll the balls smooth without cracks without applying much pressure. This is the key to get perfect smooth crackfree jamuns.
6.Why did my Gulab Jamun turn too soft or crack or break or disintegrate in oil?
If the dough is too crumbly and the balls are made with cracks, then there are chances for the jamuns to break.
Deeptha
Hey.. where did you buy this bowl? I’m looking to purchase it for a long time now.
Sharmilee J
I bought it from currimbhoys chennai adayar branch, I bought it online.Name is visions
Jennifer Juliya
What is your 1 cup measurement?
Sharmilee J
My 1 cup measures 250 ml
Saraswati
I made gulabjamuns. It was perfect. Thanks