Almond Gulab Jamuns

I1 Cup non-fat dry milk powder
1/3 Cup Biquick
1/3 Cup almond powder. (Make almond powder from skinless sliced almonds in a coffee grinder.)
1 Pinch of baking soda
5 Tablespoons whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 Cups vegetable oil

For Garnish

½ Teaspoon crushed cardamom powder
Few almond flakes

For Syrup

3 Cups sugar
3 Cups water
1 Teaspoon rose water (optional)
Few saffron threads (optional)

Mix milk powder, bisquick powder, almond powder and soda. Add whipping cream. Mix until it becomes a soft dough. Keep it covered.

Meanwhile make the sugar syrup by mixing sugar and water in a two- quart size saucepan and boiling for five minutes. (Add rose water and saffron at this time if you are using.) Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until it feels silky in between fingers. Syrup should not be too watery. Keep the syrup aside.

Heat oil in a small heavy frying pan (approximately seven or eight inches size) on medium low heat. Make 16 large marble size balls with dough.

Take a small piece of the dough and drop it in to the hot oil to check the oil temperature. If the small piece of the dough floats up fast that means the oil is too hot. If the oil is too hot Jamuns will be brown outside and raw inside.

Start the first batch of frying with only two or three balls. Do not over crowd the pan when frying because they will expand. Keep turning the balls to make sure they are golden brown on all sides. Remove the balls from the oil with a slotted spoon and put them in the syrup. Dip them in the sugar syrup with a separate slotted spoon. The gulab jamuns expand again in the syrup. Remove some of them carefully from the syrup to make room for others and place them in a separate pan. Combine all of them at the end and pour the syrup on top and garnish with cardamom powder and almond flakes.

Variations: Instead of bisquick you can use 1/3-cup all-purpose flour and two pinches of soda. 

This became my favorite gulab jamun recipe because of the almond powder. My thanks to Vijaya Dasigi for sharing it with me. I thank Lasya Penumarthi and Sasikala Penumarthi for their help. 


Mung Murukulu

1 Cup mung flour
2 ½ Cups rice flour
2 Teaspoons salt or to taste
2 Teaspoons ground red pepper
½ Teaspoon crushed cumin powder
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
3 ½ Cups boiling water
Oil for frying


Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour hot water and mix with a wooden spoon. When the dough becomes cold enough, mix it with oily hand.

Heat oil in a frying pan about one and half inches deep.

Fill a Janthika press (having 1/8 inch holes) with the dough and press in to the hot oil. Turn once or twice for crispiness. Spread some newspapers away from the stove, and lay some paper towels on top. Place the fried murukulu on top of paper towels in single layer to absorb oil from murukulu.
   
 

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