Armchair Dining on DP

No, I have never heard of it. It looks very interesting. What is it made of and where would one go to have some? My wife would absolutely love the heart-shaped serving dish, by the way...

 

Yes dude its Chop Suey!.. we had the same dish...

 

This one definitely looks delicious. Share a recipee. Is this some kind of syrup the balls are swimming in? Easy to make?

 

heart shaped serving dish and sweet taste....more love...you will get it in any Indian restaurant....or you can make it at home very easily.

Gulab jamun literally translates to rose berries. gulab means rose and jamuns are deep purple colored berries available in india. since the syrup made is rose water scented and the deep fried dough balls are the size of the jamun berries, hence the term gulab jamun.
1: first stir the sugar, water, cardamom powder and saffron in a pan and keep it on fire. i have kept the cardamoms peels and these can be thrown away when serving the gulab jamuns.
2: gently bring to a boil and continue to stir occasionally.
3: add some pistachios in the syrup. an optional step but tastes good.
4: make a thick syrup and switch off the fire much before the sugar solution reaches a one thread consistency. on cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, then just add 2 to 3 tbsp water and warm the syrup again. it will again return to a liquid state.
5: mix the flour, milk powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl. add oil/ghee and 1 tbsp yogurt.
6: just mix everything lightly. add little of yogurt if the mixture looks dry. don’t over mix or knead. you don’t want gluten to form, so just mixing well is enough. the all purpose flour is just added to bind the mixture. if gluten forms then the dough balls become dense and won’t absorb any of the sugar syrup and the inside of gulab jamun will not be soft.
7: the mixture will be sticky but smooth. apply some oil on your palms and make small balls from the dough. these gulab jamun balls almost double when frying and also increase when soaked in the sugar syrup. so don’t make large sized balls.
there should be no cracks on the dough balls. they should be smooth. if there are cracks, then just add some 1 or 2 tsp of yogurt or milk to the mixture and continue making the balls. once done, then cover the balls with a kitchen towel.
8: heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or a pan. when the oil becomes medium hot, lower the flame. add a small ball in the oil. the ball should slowly rise to the top from the bottom. if it does not rise then, the oil is not hot enough. if it rises quickly and browns also quickly, then the oil is too hot to fry.
9: when you know the oil is hot enough and on a low flame, then add 3-4 balls or more depending on the capacity of your kadai or pan. the balls have to be stirred with a slotted spoon frequently to get even browning. if there are handles on the pan, you can just lightly shake the pan so that the balls are evenly fried without using the spoon. but take care as hot oil is there in the pan. the gulab jamun balls should also not become browned too soon. they have to be cooked from the insides too.
10: keep on turning the gulab jamuns till they become golden. if the oil becomes cold, then don’t fry the gulab jamun balls. increase the temperature and then fry. otherwise the gulab jamuns would have a hard crisp thick cover when fried in a not so hot oil and they won’t absorb the sugar syrup. plus they would absorb a lot of oil too.
11: when the gulab jamuns are evenly golden and browned, remove from the slotted spoon and add them directly into the sugar syrup. keep the gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup for atleast 1-2 hours before serving. this is done so that the gulab jamun soaks up the sugar syrup which will make the insides soft and sweet. thats why in the sweet shops, the gulab jamun are always soaked in sugar syrup.
12: gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold. if they are at room temperature, then warm in the microwave and serve the gulab jamun topped with sugar syrup and garnished with pistachios or almond slices.

 

how about rice cakes?
i love this rice cake

 

Simply awesome, thanks, look delicious. Probably won't be able to make them myself due to specific ingredients, but if I end up around India one day, I will definitely ask for them.

By the way, a side question - is saffron like a common condiment in India. Because here (and as far as I know in many other place) its expensive as hell. One of the most expensive ingredients I can think of actually. Guess that's not the case in your part of the world?

 

These do not look like the dry, virtually tasteless rice cakes that are sold in our supermarkets. Your version looks absolutely wonderful! Where might we have to go to find them?

 

ohh...i wish you could make it....but you can search online for it...you will some different recipes.
yes...saffron is common but mostly in reach family and expensive restaurants.
Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world is derived from the dry stigmata of the plant Crocus Sativus.
In India, it is cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir and in Himachal Pradesh.
Saffron is a native of Southern Europe and cultivated in Mediterranean countries, particularly in Spain, Austria, France, Greece, England, Turkey, Iran.
Saffron is used as a culinary seasoning and to colour, cottage cheese, chicken and meat, rise, mayonnaise, liquors and cordials. It is also used in speciality breads, cakes, confectionaries, Mughlai dishes. Saffron is also used as a perfume in cosmetics. In medicine saffron is used in fevers, melancholia, and enlargement of liver and spleen. In Ayurvedic medicine it is used to heal arthritis, impotence and infertility. It has wide range of uses in Chinese and Tibetan medicines.

 

I have had saffron dishes (usually flavoring rice) a few times at some great restaurants, but I have to admit that we do not keep saffron on the spice shelf at home. I have heard, though never tried, that turmeric is the poor man's saffron. But I think that turmeric mostly gives the yellow color, but not the unique taste of saffron.

I love sugary, doughy foods (much to the detriment of my waistline) and the idea of adding saffron to such a treat is really intriguing. I have to investigate to see if any Indian restaurants around here offer them. We also have an Indian foods market in the next town and I may check that out, too.

I am hungry again...

 

You must go.....actually will find ready made pack of Gulaab Jamun over there in Indian sweet section..Enjoy!!

 

Here its not that hard to buy saffron in the bigger stores...that is if you are prepared to pay about 30 EUR for 1 gram (to give you an idea the average salary in my hometown is around 300-350 EUR/mo, so that equals to 1/10 of your monthly income

Looking around I did find some places where you can buy the bulbs (not sure if its called a bulb, basically the root of the plant) and I can grow my own saffron and become a multimillionaire. And its only around 400 EUR for 1 kg saffron bulbs. Ka-ching! Rich lifestyle - here I come

 

I am going to visit there in the next few days. If the treat is already prepared and available, I will try it!

 

If only there were a market for saffron and coffee syrup...

 

Told ya, super simple, this is just a case of wrong geolocation. Both have excellent export opportunities so we will look outside for the big bucks

 

I just want to share this awesome [street] food I had before I go to work.

Everybody behold the "DYNAMITE" Yes, you heard it right! it's called dynamite since it's really spicy. Basically it's cheese-filled chili (sometimes meat is added on the filling) wrapped in a thin flour wrapper and then deep fried. Ketchup and mayo are the best combo for the dip.

 

Dayumn, that looks hot (literally)
And it does seem like something I can prepare myself. I have a few chilli lovers that will find this dreamy

 

Wow, they look fantastic. And "Dynamite" seems like the appropriate name. On what street would one find this?

It's funny, but I tend to go for hotter/spicier foods in the cold of winter. Now that it is summer here and hot, I am not so anxious for highly spiced foods. But, I would not mind picking this up on a jaunt down the avenue or the beach boardwalk!

 

Indeed! It can be prepared at home, here some fancy clubs/bars are serving it as well the price is much higher though. Oh and when you serve it to your friends, pop a few bottles of ice cold beers! Woohoo instant party!

You don't have to travel across the world for your taste buds to experience dynamite's awesomeness . From where I am, midtown has a lot dynamite vendors LOL. I encourage you to try it! It's actually pretty easy to prepare, Oh and dont forget the beers!

 

I definitely have to do so. I have been thinking about the ketchup/mayo dip, which is a combination that I have used before on dishes and am wondering if a ketchup/yellow mustard dip would not also be good with this dish, especially if some meat was used in the filling. You know, I just had dinner and I am getting hungry again!

 

I know it is changing the original somewhat but why not make some beef chilli and slip that inside the peppers, and if you want kinky add a stick of cheese inside with the chilli. I knew I should not have read this thread, damn I feel hungry!