Kala Jamun

Kala jamun is a very common dessert in north india. I have made a fancy coloured layering inside the jamuns by wrapping one ball over the other which is not necessary. I did it just for the visual appeal. It can be fried in Oil or ghee. Ghee gives it an additional flavour and taste.

Ingredients

1    Cup dry powder milk
½   Cup all purpose flour
½   Teaspoon baking powder
1    Tablespoon melted butter
½   Cup heavy whipping cream
1    Teaspoon crushed cardamoms
       seeds
Vegetable oil or ghee for frying the jamuns

Ingredients for sugar syrup

2     Cups sugar
2     Cups of water
1     Teaspoon lemon juice

Directions for making the syrup

In a pan mix sugar and water together and boil until the syrup become little thick. Add crushed cardamoms and saffron, keep string periodically. Do not boil the syrup for too long, otherwise sugar will caramelize. Squeeze  lemon juice in the syrup that will keep the sugar form crystallizing.
Syrup should be made earlier and kept warm

Directions for making the dough for Kala Jamun

In a bowl mix powdered milk, all purpose flour, baking powder and butter. Add whipping cream little at a time and knead it to make it soft and smooth dough.
The dough should be soft and smooth but not sticky. Keep it aside. When ready to make the balls knead the dough to make it soft. If the dough becomes dry or hard add little whip cream or few drops of water and knead.  If the dough is not soft the balls will not be smooth and even. 
Now take a portion of the dough and make a 1½ “ ball by gently rolling each portion between your palms in to a smooth ball or oval shaped balls.
The balls should not have any cracks otherwise the surface of balls will not come out smooth.
Place the balls on a plate and cover with a damp yet dry kitchen towel.
Heat 2 cups of oil in a medium size pan on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until oil become hot.
Once the oil become hot turn the heat down to very low, to test it drop a little ball of dough in the oil, if the ball takes time to simmer then float up it means the oil is hot enough, if dough rises faster, oil is too hot, if dough just sits without rising, oil is not hot enough.
Gently slip in the balls into the hot oil from the side of the pan, one by one.
At first balls will sink to the bottom of the oil, then it will slowly rise up.
The balls should be fried very gently on very low heat so that they get dark brown evenly from outside and cook from inside. It takes about 12 to 15 minutes to fry the balls.
Once the balls are fried, lift them from the hot oil and shake the oil out, and place them on a plate over paper towel, so that all the extra oil is absorbed by the towel.
Once all the balls are fried add them in the syrup and place the pan on the stove on low heat and give a boil and turn the heat off.
In few hours the balls will be completely soaked in the syrup. For  best result ,leave the jamuns balls in the syrup overnight. Enjoy.