Gulab Jamun with Coconut Milk Powder and Whole Wheat Flour

Ingredients

For the Jamun

Milk Powder - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk Powder - 1/2 cup
Whole Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup
Baking Soda - 1 pinch
Ghee - 1 to 2 tsp
Curd - 2 to 3 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - 1 pinch
Oil or Ghee - To deep fry

For the Sugar Syrup

Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
Water - 1 cup
Elaichi Powder - 1 tsp
Lime Juice - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt - 1 tiny pinch


Procedure

To make Sugar Syrup

Add sugar and water in a medium sized bowl and allow to boil for 5 to 10 minutes on a medium flame.

When it reaches a sticky consistency, add elaichi powder, lime juice, and salt.  Switch off and keep aside closed.

To make the jamuns

In a bowl, mix together milk powder, coconut milk powder, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cardamom powder and ghee until well combined.

Add curd little by little and knead to a soft, little sticky, and smooth dough.

Make even sized balls out of this dough.  Apply ghee in your palms to roll out the balls.  The balls should be smooth and crack free, else they break while deep frying.

Heat oil or ghee in a kadai on medium low flame.

When it is moderately hot, deep fry the jamun balls to golden brown stirring in between.

Add the hot fried jamuns to the hot sugar syrup and set aside for 2 hours.  Keep closed.

The jamuns would have become double sized and ready to be served chilled or as such.

The coconut milk powder added in the jamuns gives an extra flavor for coconut lovers.

Notes:

I used whole wheat flour without sieving.  This gave a slightly coarse texture to the jamuns though it was good taste and soft too.  If you want it really smooth, sieve the whole wheat flour and use.  The original recipe calls for use of maida instead of whole wheat flour.

Elaichi powder can be replaced with nutmeg powder or rose essence.

I used KLF coconut milk powder 25 gm sachet (1/3 cup) and adjusted measurements of other ingredients accordingly.  For this quantity, I got around 12-14 gulab jamuns.

Khus-Khus Halwa/Poppy Seeds Halwa

Ingredients

Poppy Seeds (Khus-khus) - 1 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Nutmeg Powder - 1 pinch
Elaichi Powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 small pinch


Procedure

Powder the khus-khus in a mixer jar in little quantities.  Grind further more to form a paste like consistency.  Do not add water or milk.  It automatically oozes out its own oil and forms a coarse paste.  Do the same for the entire quantity of poppy seeds.

In a heavy bottom kadai, add the coarsely ground khus-khus, milk, sugar, and a little pinch of salt (or just one small crystal of rock salt).   Mix well together so no lumps are formed.  Keep stirring.

Stir continuously until it becomes thick.  When it starts spluttering, close with lid and stir now and then keeping in low medium flame.

Add ghee little by little and stir continuously until it oozes out and the halwa is not sticky to wet fingers.

Add a pinch of nutmeg powder and cardamom (elaichi) powder.  Mix well and switch off the flame.

Khus-khus halwa is ready to serve.

It stays good in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days.  Use dry spoons (not wet spoons) to scoop and serve.

This is a very traditional sweet in our homes and not to be missed on special and festive occasions.  A mother's gift to her married daughter when she visits her place.

Notes:

Khus-khus is a body coolant and helps maintain the body heat.  This halwa is a rich and delicious dessert and can be had a spoonful in empty stomach if you feel your body is too heated up.

Alternative method to do this halwa is to soak khus-khus in water for 2 hours, drain it, and grind it along with milk to form a coarse paste and continue with the same process as above.

You can also do the pressure cooker method for making this halwa.  Soak khus-khus in water for 2 hours.  Drain and grind to a coarse paste with enough milk.  Add the coarse khus-khus paste, rest of the milk, and sugar in a vessel and pressure cook for 10 minutes.  Cool and then transfer to a kadai and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the halwa is done.  Add the rest of the ingredients in the process as mentioned.

Milk can be substituted completely with water or half and half (that is half quantity of milk and half quantity of water).  Using entirely milk gives an extra special richness to the dessert.

Adjust sugar according to your taste.  You can vary it up to 1/4 cup more or less.

Powdered jaggery can be substituted for sugar.