Gulab Jamun (Fried Milk Balls in Syrup)
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Gulab jamun are fried milk dumplings soaked in a cardamom-scented sugar syrup, a sweet that is popular across India and Pakistan and is said to come from Bengal. This version builds the dough from milk powder and Bisquick, so you can skip the specialty ingredients. The overnight soak is the key step: the dark, crisp-edged balls drink up the syrup and turn soft all the way through.
Instructions
Pour canola oil into a small saucepan to a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) and heat it over medium heat while you make the dough.
Stir the milk powder, Bisquick and melted butter together in a metal bowl. Add the warm milk 2 Tbsp at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients come together into a ball. The dough should be firm and moist but not sticky. If it turns too wet, work in a little more dry mix, keeping the ratio of 3 parts milk powder to 1 part Bisquick.
Roll the dough into balls of the same size, since uneven balls cook at different rates. The dough dries out fast, so fry within a few minutes of rolling.
Drop a few balls into the oil without crowding the pan, because they swell as they cook. They sink first, then rise to the surface. Stir regularly so they brown evenly, and lift them out when they are dark brown.
Drain the fried balls on paper to soak up excess oil, then repeat with the rest of the dough.
To make the syrup, take the seeds out of the cardamom pods and crush them to release their flavor. Combine the water, sugar and crushed cardamom in a pan and heat for 10 minutes. Keep the heat gentle, because an overheated syrup will caramelize.
Put the fried balls in the syrup and leave them to soak overnight. Serve them hot or cold.
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