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GULAB JAMUN PANCAKES

Gulab Jamun is a well-known and popular Indian dessert made of fried milk and dough balls. It is similar to a donut hole but soaked in a sweet, sticky syrup. The word "Gulab" is derived from the Persian words gol (flower) and āb (water), referring to the rose water-scented syrup. "Jamun" or "jaman" is the Hindi word for Syzygium jambolanum, an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum. 

If you conduct a survey among Indians and ask about their favorite Indian sweet, then this dessert will top the list, it is the centre of attraction in every festival, wedding, party and occasion in India. Gulab Jamun is believed to be originated in India, somewhere around the medieval period but you will be shocked to know that your favorite sweet hails from Persia. This delicacy is similar to an Arabic dessert named Luqmat-Al-Qadi, which was introduced to India with the invasion of the Mughal emperors. A theory also suggests that it was first prepared by the personal Persian chef of Emperor Shah Jahan but there is no evidence to support this theory. 

The dessert is madewith milk solids, which you get from constantly stirring the milk over low flame. Milk solids or the khoya as its known, is mixed with flour and knead into a soft dough. Then it is formed into small balls and deep fried. These small balls are then dipped into a sugar syrup which is flavored with green cardamom and rose water, kewra (screwpine leaf) or saffron. This is how the most traditional and simple gulab jamun is prepared. There are other variations and you can get creative with these too, I did. 

We often make them for brunch! Yes you heard that right. Ludicrous right? Since my boys love this dessert, I came up with a pancake version of it, pan cooked and not fried to make us feel just slightly better about the caloric value of this dish. Once in a while we will replace our breakfast hash with masala potatoes, our bagels with some naans, a jalepeno and paneer infused masala omelette instead of scrambled eggs and these soft as cotton, laden with a floral syrup and sprinkled with some pistachios gulab jamun pancakes instead of buttermilk ones. 


INGREDIENTS

FOR THE JAMUN PANCAKES

  • 1 cup pancake mix
  • 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup water plus more
  • 1 teaspoon ghee + more to grease the pan
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

FOR THE GULAB SYRUP
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4-5 cardamom pods
  • 1 teaspoon rose water

  • A pinch of saffron (8-10 strands)
      • INSTRUCTIONS

      • Heat a small saucepan on medium and add sugar and cardamom.
      • Let the sugar melt do not stir.
      • In about 2-4 minutes you will start seeing the sugar bubbling at the edges. As these bubbles change color to a medium-dark amber (caramel), add the water slowly from one side. Be careful as this might splatter.
      • Continue to cook only until all of the sugar dissolves and then turn off the heat.
      • Add rose water,  and saffron and set aside in a shallow dish. The pancakes will be dipped into this hot syrup as they come off the griddle.
      • Start preparing to mix the pancake batter.
      • Mix dry ingredients together.
      • Separately, combine the ricotta and 1/2 up of water and whisk to break all the milk solids to make it into a smooth paste. 
      • Combine both dry ingredients and wet ingredients together, don't over mix. Your batter should be loose and not stiff, the same consistency as your regular pancake batter. The easiest way to tell is to see if it is pourable. If it moved fluidly but at a slow pace, you're good to go. 
      • Heat and grease with ghee a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. 
      • For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
      • Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. 
      • Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more.
      • As the pancakes come off the griddle, soak each one carefully in the syrup with help of a skimmer for a quick 30 seconds. You will notice the pancake will absorb the syrup right away.
      • Place on a serving platter and continue with more ghee and remaining batter. (You'll have8-10.)
      • Once all the pancakes have been cooked, dipped in syrup and placed on the serving platter, pour any left over syrup onto pancakes and garnish with pistachios. 
      • Serve warm. 




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