Have you ever imagined making Gulab Jamun without mawa or milk powder? It sounds impossible, right? But with this incredible recipe, you can create incredibly juicy and delicious Gulab Jamuns using sweet potatoes (0:18)! This vegan and plant-based sweet is surprisingly easy to make and will surely impress everyone.
1. Preparing the Sweet Potatoes (0:26–1:31)
Table of Contents
The key to this recipe is perfectly cooked sweet potatoes.
- Start with 1 kg of thick sweet potatoes (0:28). Wash them thoroughly. If they are too long, cut them in half to fit in a pressure cooker (0:33).
- Place the thicker pieces at the bottom of the cooker and the thinner ones on top (0:38).
- Add only one glass of water (0:43) and cook on medium heat for one whistle (0:47).
- Once done, immediately release all the pressure from the cooker (1:03) and open the lid (1:10).
- Drain the water immediately and close the lid again with the whistle (1:19). This helps the sweet potatoes cook thoroughly and become soft without absorbing too much water (1:24). Let the cooker cool completely (1:31).
2. Crafting the Sugar Syrup (Chashni) (1:33–2:32)
While the sweet potatoes cool, prepare the sugar syrup.
- In a pot, combine two cups of sugar and two cups of water (1:36).
- Stir continuously over medium heat (1:43).
- Add crushed cardamom pods (1:53) (no need to finely powder them; rough crushing is fine).
- Cook until the syrup comes to a good boil (2:04). You’re not looking for a string consistency, just a sticky, slightly warm syrup (2:07). Turn off the heat once it’s sticky to the touch (2:12).
- Ensure the syrup remains slightly warm (2:29) when you add the Gulab Jamuns later.
3. Preparing the Dough (2:34–4:12)
Once the sweet potatoes are cool, peel them (2:51).
- Grate the peeled sweet potatoes using the finest grater (2:56) you have.
- Mash them with your hands until they are very soft (3:06).
- Add half a cup of coarse wheat flour (3:13) and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (3:17). Mix the soda well with the flour before combining.
- If your wheat flour isn’t coarse, use 1/4 cup fine semolina (सूजी) and 1/4 cup wheat flour (3:27).
- Knead the mixture for 5-6 minutes (3:35).
- If the dough feels a bit thick, add a little water as needed (3:40) to achieve a soft consistency (3:51).
- Form small, round Gulab Jamuns, ensuring there are no cracks (4:01). Cracks can cause them to break while frying.
4. Frying the Gulab Jamuns (4:14–5:37)
Frying is a crucial step to get that perfect golden-brown color and texture.
- Always test-fry one Gulab Jamun first (4:20) to ensure the oil temperature is correct.
- Heat the oil to a very light warm temperature (4:27).
- Start frying on very low heat for 1 minute (4:30), then increase to medium heat (4:35). Unlike traditional Gulab Jamuns, these need to be fried on medium heat after the initial low-heat phase (4:40).
- Fry until they are nicely browned (4:54), which should take about 5-6 minutes (4:53).
- Immediately transfer the hot Gulab Jamuns into the warm sugar syrup (4:58).
- When frying subsequent batches, turn off the gas flame after removing the previous batch (5:15) to lower the oil temperature before adding more Gulab Jamuns. Gradually increase the heat while frying (5:22).
- Avoid frying them on very low heat for too long, as they can become hard and won’t absorb the syrup properly (5:29).
5. Soaking and Serving (5:37–5:55)
- Let the Gulab Jamuns soak in the syrup for at least 2 to 3 hours (5:36). This allows them to absorb the syrup and become incredibly juicy (5:41).
(5:47) And just like that, your delicious Sweet Potato Gulab Jamuns are ready! They are incredibly flavorful and a fantastic alternative to the traditional recipe. Do give it a try!