Step 1

In a mixing bowl, add the milk powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder and ghee. Slowly add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and gently form the dough by mixing. It should be a stiff dough. If the dough is sticky, grease your palms with oil and gently mix. Do not knead the dough—it will make the jamuns hard.

Step 2

Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let rest for five minutes.

Step 3

In a saucepan, add the sugar, water and two green cardamom pods, crushed. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. When the sugar is completely dissolved, simmer over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. You need a sticky sugar syrup here. Test it by removing a small amount of sugar syrup and letting it cool a bit. Then, touch the sugar syrup with your index finger and press it with your thumb. You should feel the stickiness. When it's ready, remove the syrup from the heat and add the rose essence or rose water. Set aside.

Step 4

Grease your palms and pinch a small amount of dough. Roll gently to form a small, smooth ball—to give you an idea of the size, we make about 20 jamuns using this recipe.

Step 5

In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat a few inches of oil over low heat. The oil should not be very hot while frying the gulab jamuns. To test the oil, drop in a small piece of the dough. It will sink initially, but after 30 seconds or so, it will float up, and the color should not change. That's the right temperature. Slowly drop in four to five balls, depending on the pan size, and deep-fry the jamuns until they turn golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, keep rotating them in the oil for even cooking and coloring. It takes me four to five minutes for each batch. Do not rush the frying process! When the jamuns are golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Step 6

Let each jamun sit for 45 to 60 seconds, and then add the fried jamuns to the warm sugar syrup. Repeat with the next batch of jamuns, frying them and then adding them to the sugar syrup. Let the jamuns soak in the sugar syrup for at least two hours. Overnight soaking is fine, too.

Step 7

You can eat gulab jamun cold or warm. Put the jamuns in a serving bowl and drizzle the extra syrup on top.