Gulab Jamun or is it Vanilla Jamun?

What would be a sweeter post to start the new year with, than the Gulab Jamun recipe?!

I have seen my mom prepare Gulab Jamun using the ready-made mix. Of course, like with any ready-made stuff, you can do without it too.

My cooking is usually simplistic with only a little bit of experimentation to it, as I am someone who follows tested recipes quite firmly. Of course, there are times when all I want is to experiment, no rules apply then:-)

Now to the recipe. It takes about 25 minutes to prepare and makes around 20 Jamuns.

Vanilla(?) Jamun (You'll know soon!)

There are two parts to this recipe:
1. Jeera
2. Jamuns

To make Jamuns:

Ingredients:

1. Milk Powder - 2 Cups
   
2. Maida Flour(general purpose flour) - 2 Tbsp
   
3. Ghee - 1 Tbsp
   
4. Curd - 1/2 Cup
   
5. Baking Soda(Sodium Bicarbonate) - A pinch
   
6. Cooking Oil - To deep fry
   

Method:

1.  Add milk powder, Maida flour and Baking Soda in a conveniently large mixing bowl and make a dry mixture.
   
2. Add ghee and mix more.
   
3. Add curd and make a crumbly dough by kneading with hand. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
   
4. Make small balls of the dough. Since baking soda has been added, it expands while frying, so make the balls small.
   
5. Heat the oil in a deep pan. Maintain the temperature between simmer to medium. DO NOT KEEP THE STOVE ON HIGH FLAME. 
   
6. Deep fry the Jamun balls in batches till they turn golden brown. This may take 2 minutes per batch. If the flame is high, the outer surface may become brown sooner and the insides wouldn't have been cooked.
   
7. Keep the fried Jamuns separately on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
   

To make Jeera:

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 2 Cups
   
2. Water - 1 Cup
   
3. Cardamom Powder - 1 Tsp
   
4. Vanilla seeds - A pinch
   

1. Heat the water in a wide mouthed vessel.
   
2. Add sugar, cardamom powder and Vanilla seeds
   
3. Bring it to boil. Then turn down the heat to simmer.
   
4. Now, add the fried Jamuns to the jeera.
   
5. Keep the heat low for a couple of minutes before switching off the stove. 
   
6. The Jamuns are ready to be served after soaking in Jeera for half an hour.
   
7. In the actual Gulab Jamun, rose essence is added. For a change, I have added Vanilla seeds, and it was as good. Vanilla essence could be substituted too.
   

Tips: 

Grease your palm with ghee/oil before making the Jamuns so that they form nice ridge-less balls.

So, happy Jamuning:-)