Want to know the common Gulab Jamun mistakes?
Gulab Jamun is one of the most favorite dishes in Indian households.
It’s an easy-to-make dish at home, but you need to know the secrets to make them perfectly like halwais.
If you’re not aware of these secrets, you may end up making hard Gulab Jamuns.
So, here’s a guide that will help you understand and fix the common mistakes while making Gulab Jamuns.
Gulab Jamun Mistakes And Fixes
Let’s look at the things that can go wrong when you make Gulab Jamuns at home.
1. Your Gulab Jamun Mix Proportion Is Incorrect
If you are making this sweet with the packaged mix, you won’t find much difficulty during the preparation.
However, the same can’t be said for the mix you make on your own.
If you add more baking soda or all-purpose flour than the required amount, the Jamuns will turn hard and not soak enough juices when you put them in the syrup.
So, make sure you get the proportion right for this mix.
Otherwise, you will have to deal with a lot of issues later.
This is also the reason why you should make Gulab Jamuns with the readymade mix or mawa (dried evaporated milk solids).
2. You Have Not Kneaded The Dough Well
It’s the most certain way of seeing the cracks on the Jamun balls.
If you don’t knead the dough well, it will cause lumps in the balls.
These lumps will automatically form cracks while frying.
So, you should focus on preparing a nice and smooth dough for this preparation.
If you use mawa or khoya, you will have to put more effort into the kneading process.
Generally, khoya has a firm texture, which can only be softened through kneading.
It may take 10-15 minutes, depending on the quantity of khoya, but you shouldn’t skip this process at all.
The same thing applies to Paneer pieces.
You should grate the Paneer chunks first and knead them well till it turns absolutely soft.
3. You’ve Kneaded The Dough Too Firmly
This is another common mistake that people make when they prepare Gulab Jamuns at home.
While making the dough for this sweet, you shouldn’t prepare a firm dough.
It should be slightly soft and shouldn’t form any wrinkles or lumps when you shape it.
That’s the only way you can expect to make picture-perfect Gulab Jamuns in your kitchen.
In case your dough has turned a bit stiff, you can use water, rose water, or milk to gain the perfect texture.
Also, make sure you cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth.
This will help keep it moist for a long time.
4. There Is Too Much Water Content In The Dough
If you add too much water to the flour mix, it can also create problems during the preparation.
When the dough turns very soft, you may not be able to form the balls properly.
They will lose their shapes as soon as you keep them on the plate.
Other than that, they will also change their shape while frying in the Kadai.
And yes, they may even form cracks due to the soft outer layer.
So, how do you tackle this issue?
Well, you can make use of maida to absorb excess moisture from the dough.
Do not add a lot of maida at a time, though.
5. You Have Added A Lot Of Maida To The Dough Mixture
Maida can be a useful ingredient if the dough becomes too soft while kneading.
It also helps in binding the milk powder or khoya mixture.
But there is always an issue with using it in making Gulab Jamuns.
If you use it in large quantities, it quickly turns the dough dry and hard.
So, it’s important to keep an eye on how much maida goes into making Gulab Jamun dough.
6. You Keep The Gulab Jamun Balls In The Open
Seeing cracks on your Gulab Jamuns?
Then, this could be the possible cause for it.
When you keep the balls in the open, they become dry and lose moisture pretty quickly.
If you fry these balls in the oil, you will surely see some cracks developing on their surface.
To avoid this problem, you should keep the dough balls covered with a muslin cloth.
The cloth should be slightly moist so that it can lend a bit of moisture to the balls and keep them from getting dry in the process.
7. You Fry Them At High Temperatures
Gulab Jamuns should never be fried at high temperatures.
If you do, they will cook unevenly.
They may get the perfect color from the outside, but the inside dough will remain undercooked.
Eventually, it will lead to several issues.
For e.g.,
These balls will not soak enough syrup afterward.
They may also develop cracks and turn dark brown.
Therefore, fry them at medium-high temperature and keep moving them while frying.
If you let them sit in one position, they will get uneven color.
8. You Keep Them In The Open After Frying
Do not keep the fried Gulab Jamun balls on the plate for too long.
Instead, move them quickly into the syrup mixture and let them soak the syrup when they are relatively hot.
If you feel there is too much oil in them, you can remove them on a kitchen towel and put them into the syrup bowl immediately.
The temperature plays an important role here.
If you let them cool down, they will not absorb the syrup mixture completely.
As a result, you may find your Gulab Jamuns hard and doughy to taste.
9. Your Sugar Syrup Is Thick
Whenever you prepare syrup mixture for Gulab Jamuns, it shouldn’t have a thick consistency.
When it turns thick, it becomes difficult for the fried balls to absorb the liquid content from the syrup.
This is why you don’t get the perfect soft texture to the Gulab Jamuns balls.
So, do check the consistency of syrup while making it.
You can add some rose water to the syrup if it appears more viscous.
10. The Temperature Of Sugar Syrup Is Not Appropriate
Finally, the temperature of sugar syrup can also play a role in making Gulab Jamuns soft and juicy.
If you put the fried balls in a cold syrup, they won’t absorb the liquid content properly and turn a bit doughy.
To fix this problem, you should put them in the syrup at a lukewarm temperature.
The ideal temperature should be around 50-60°C.
You can find the correct temperature using a food thermometer.
If you don’t have this tool, you can simply check the temperature using a spoon.
It should be lukewarm and shouldn’t feel too hot.
On that note, these are the common Gulab Jamun mistakes that we make while preparing this amazing sweet dish.
In the following section, you will find some FAQs related to this topic.
Do check them out if you have any similar queries in your mind.
FAQs
Gulab Jamun can break due to many reasons.
The most common reason, though, is hard dough balls.
The other reason is the continuous stirring of the balls in hot oil.
Apart from that, if you allow the balls to be in the syrup for too long, they will surely lose their texture and may break apart in the process.
There are a couple of reasons why your Gulab Jamun doesn’t absorb the syrup well.
The first reason is the consistency of the syrup.
If it’s too thick, the balls will not soak in the liquid content.
Similarly, if the fried Gulab Jamuns are hard, they will show a similar characteristic.
There isn’t much you can do to fix this problem.
If they turn too soft, you can remove them from the syrup and keep them aside in a separate container.
In case they have turned soft prior to the frying process, you can use maida to remove excess moisture from the dough.
Gulab Jamun dissolves when there is too much moisture in them.
You will have to add more milk powder or maida while preparing the dough.
This should help fix the problem.
As mentioned earlier, you should add more maida to such a mix.
The flour will absorb excess water content and help you shape Gulab Jamuns properly.
However, you shouldn’t put a lot of flour into it.
If you do, you will not get the desired texture, and the balls will get a firm body.
So, it’d be best if you could prepare the dough with appropriate proportions.
Over To You
Even though Gulab Jamun making process seems easy, you will always find things that are quite challenging.
In the above guide, I have explained some of the common mistakes and their fixes for reference.
If you have any more doubts or questions, please let me know in the comments below.
I will help you resolve them for you.
Moreover, if you found this guide useful, do share it with your friends and family.
My gulab jamun after frying is rubbery. My proportion was 1kg mawa and 340 grams maida and 1 gm potassium sorbate and 1 gm baking soda. What is the mistake that I made? Please explain to me.
Hey Suriya,
It seems you’ve fried them on high flame. You need to fry the balls on low flame so that they cook well.
My gulab jamun is frying in one side only..means while deep frying in med temperature
Hi Sonalika,
You need to swirl gulab jamuns while frying them in the oil. Don’t fry them like pakodas, where you just have to flip them once or twice.
I made gulab jamun with the milk powder, plain flour, and sooji. They came out well, but they went flat when I put them in the syrup. Not sure where I went wrong.
Please advise. Thanks!
Hi Malti,
The ingredients are perfect, but you need to fix the proportions. Don’t make the dough too soft.
Other than that, the syrup shouldn’t be hot. When you put the fried Gulab Jamuns in hot syrup, they turn flat or break into pieces.
Hi,
I made really good jamuns yesterday (the taste was there), but on the inside, when I halved the jamun, the inside separated from the outside. For example, there was an outside ring, maybe 2-3mm, and then the dough ball core on the inside. Not sure what happened there. Used soji, all-purpose flour, mawa, milk, and baking soda. My syrup was a little too dense, too, if that helps.
Hey there,
This happens when you fry the jamuns on relatively high heat. It would help if you fried them on low heat so that they cook evenly. You should also allow them to cool down for 30 seconds to 1 minute after removing them from the oil. Don’t put them directly in the syrup.
Also, as you rightly said, the syrup shouldn’t be dense. You should only cook it till the sugar dissolves completely. At most, you can cook it for 1-string consistency, but don’t let it get too thick.
Hi there! My recipe calls for 1 cup milk but I added 1.5 cups and my mixture is very soft. After letting rest for 30mins i am able to roll and fry without it cracking or breaking. Is that ok?
Hi Hinna,
If the dough is too soft, the gulab jamuns may not hold their shape while frying. But if you’re getting the desired results, you don’t have to worry about anything.
Hello,
How to prevent gulab Jamun from shrinking?
Should I wait for 1 minute after frying and then transfer in syrup?
Hi Kavita,
Gulab Jamuns shrink because you cook them on high flame. When you cook them at high heat, the doughy inner center remains uncooked and shrinks after placing them in the syrup.
The other reason for this issue is the thick syrup consistency. The jamuns won’t soak enough syrup to turn soft and plump with this consistency. Also, it’s better to wait a minute before placing them in the syrup.
What are the proportions if v make
1)mava gulab jamuns and maida
2) mava gulab jamuns with milk powder and maida
Hey,
For mawa and maida, you can use 4:1 proption.
And if you want to add milk powder, you can try 4:1:0.25 proportion.
Milk powder is often used for binding purposes, so you should use it in less quantity.
Hello. I used 1 part Kova and 1/4 parts maida. When frying, it’s fine. But when I put them in syrup, I am getting dents l/ dimples in Jamuns.
I tried it with adding soda and milk powder to above dough ratios: but still no luck. Same issue.
The syrup is perfect consistency and it’s not too hot and not cold either.
Hey Sunitha,
I think you’re following most of the steps perfectly.
The only things I can suggest here are –
1. Do not use too much maida while kneading. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time and knead the dough. It should only be used as a medium to soak excess moisture from the dough.
2. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Do it in small quantities, and make sure you remove the grainy texture from your khoya/mawa.
3. Make small dough balls; around 10-12 gms each. It will ensure no or fewer cracks on your Gulab Jamuns.
4. Do not let them dry out completely. If they do turn dry, you can add a bit of water or milk and knead the dough again till it gets the right texture and consistency.
Try out these few things and let me know. All the best!
Why Gulab Jaman gets hard in the middle? Answer this query as well please
Hey Musab,
It happens because of two reasons, i.e., hard dough balls and incorrect frying technique.
You will need to prepare the slightly soft dough and fry the balls at a low consistent flame.
Do try out these suggestions, and I’m sure you will be able to make perfect Gulab Jamuns at home.