mitzireddy

The weekend has been a whirlwind of activity with my sister, Dawn and family arriving from Durban to spend a long weekend with us and our niece, Ashley’s engagement to Shayan on Sunday. The engagement was a lovely Indian traditional affair with all the glam, bling and fabulous traditional food.

Ashley and Shayan

Coconut all blinged for the traditional ceremony

Colourful garlands for the engaged couple to wear

Sweetmeats are generally served at Indian traditional affairs and I am sharing my recipe for a sweetmeat, gulab jamun, which has remained a favorite for decades. It’s main ingredients is flour and condensed milk which is made into a dough then shaped into fingers and fried in oil and dipped into warm syrup. Delicious.

GULAB JAMUN

2 ½ cups self-raising flour

60ml semolina

1 tin condensed milk

5ml elachi powder

60gr gram flour

60ml ghee

60ml water

2.5ml ground nutmeg

Oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl combine condensed milk, ghee,
water and flavourings.

Beat well.

Add semolina and gram flour.

Add self-raising flour and mix into soft dough –add
more flour if necessary for the right consistency.

Shape into long finger shapes.

Deep fry slowly in oil.Remove and dip into warm syrup.

Remove from the syrup.

Roll in desiccated coconut (optional) – it’s not traditional
but just my preference – the coconut absorbs the syrup and the jamun is not
over sweet.

Syrup

Dissolve:

4 cups sugar

750ml water

Simmer for 15 minutes until sticky.

Flavour with 12.5 ml rose water.

Keep the syrup warm