Diwali Special Sweets – Non-Fried Gulab Jamun

The festival of Diwali is incomplete without some lip-smacking gulab jamuns. Am I right? And it becomes even more special if we can have some gulab jamuns guilt-free. These gulab jamuns are not deep-fried but are made in an Appe Pan which means no excess oil, just the excess of taste and flavors. These are soft, moist, juicy, and much lighter than the regular deep-fried gulab jamuns. You must give it a try this Diwali.

Other Indian sweets and dessert recipes that you can try – Rasmalai (made from Haldiram Rasgullas), Baked Mawa Gujiya, and vegan kheer.

Story Time

I always wanted to make non-fried gulab jamuns. And when I bought my Appe Pan, there was no stopping. I had to try it. But little did I know that it is going to be that difficult. I attempted several times to master this recipe. In the process, we both had quite a lot of gulab jamuns. No regrets though 😀

Initially, they all burnt and had patches of different colors. Some areas were white while some were black. Some had distorted shapes while some developed cracks. And once they were so hard that even the sugar syrup couldn’t get through them. But you know what, they all tasted good. I can say this because we finished them all. After one or two months of regular practice, finally I made it. I made soft, smooth, and delicious Non-Fried Gulab Jamuns.

What is gulab jamun?

Gulab Jamun is an Indian sweet (or dessert) that is made especially during the festival of Holi and Diwali. It is made with different ingredients like paneer (cottage cheese), sooji, milk powder, khoya, etc. To make these gulab jamuns, a soft and lump-free mixture is prepared which is then shaped into small balls. These balls are then deep-fried until golden brown and then soaked in some sugar syrup. This is one of my all-time favorite Indian Mithais (sweets) which I always make during the festive season.

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Tips to make it right

Gulab Jamun seems easy but there are certain tips that you need to keep in mind to make them just perfect otherwise it is very easy to ruin this delicacy.

1. Make sure the milk or water used is at room temperature – neither hot nor cold. Cold water solidifies the ghee added and you won’t get a smooth dough. It is impossible to correct that.
2. Do not over-knead the dough. Just mix till everything comes together. Over-kneading results in hard gulab jamuns.
3. The dough or the mixture should not be very hard or soft. The hard dough will develop cracks while frying and the soft dough will lose its shape.
4. If the dough is too soft, dust with some milk powder and then knead. If it is too hard, knead with a little bit of milk or water.
5. Roll the dough on a wooden surface, if possible like on the wooden chopping boards. It prevents cracks.
6. Cook on low flame and keep on flipping otherwise they may burn.
7. Make sure the sugar syrup (chashni) is lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. Hot sugar syrup disturbs the shape of gulab jamuns and cold sugar syrup doesn’t seep in well.

How to make sugar syrup or chashni for gulab jamun?

Making sugar syrup is quite easier but at times it gets tricky too. Initially, it was difficult for me to get that one-thread or two-thread method of making the sugar syrup. The below steps will help you make a perfect and hassle-free sugar syrup for gulab jamuns.

1. Add water and sugar syrup to a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Once the sugar is dissolved, let it heat for another 5 minutes. The sugar syrup will be ready.
3. To test, take a drop of it and rub it between your fingers. It should feel sticky (not watery). You may also feel it to be slightly oily.

How to store gulab jamun?

You can store these gulab jamuns at room temperature for around 3 to 4 days (depending on the temperature where you live). Refrigerate for longer shelf life. In the refrigerator, they can easily last for a week or maybe 10 days.

Do not consume them if they taste sour.

Benefits of opting for non-fried methods

If you are someone like me who doesn’t like deep frying food unless it is very much necessary for the recipe like when I am making chhole poori or bhaturas. I just can’t make them without deep frying. So, I saved my deep-frying quota only for these couple of recipes. Otherwise, I always prefer baking or if possible Appe Pan.

I made many deep-fried recipes healthier by opting for a better cooking method. You must try our Baked Pani Puri, Spring Rolls, dum aloo, vada pav, Gobhi Manchurian & baked cheese balls. I made them healthier with no compromise on the taste.

Now, here are the reasons I don’t deep fry (until necessary):

1. Deep-fried food feels heavy and oily after eating them.
2. The non-Fried methods instead of deep frying make you feel that you are opting for healthier options.
3. The biggest reason of all is that the oil becomes unhealthy after reaching the temperature of deep-frying. We are not supposed to use the oil again for cooking. But obviously, we can’t even discard the oil. So we consume it. That’s where switching to a non-fried method helps.
4. The non-Fried method is much easier and hassle-free. There is no tension of ruining the oil if any gulab jamun crumbles up. Or even if the gulab jamun cracks, no extra oil will seep in.

Is this recipe vegan?

No. This recipe is not vegan. But I am working on the vegan or plant-based gulab jamun recipe. I will share it soon so watch out.

More festive recipes to try

1. Baked Pani Puri
2. Rasmalai
3. Besan Ladoo (video only)

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this delicious Indian sweet or dessert recipe at home. If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Love from us

Richa