Khoya Gulab Jamun Recipe (Gulab Jamun With Mawa)

Khoya gulab jamun recipe is the ultimate traditional Indian sweet made with unsweetened mawa and scented sugar syrup. Follow my simple tips and testing steps to make super soft, melt-in-the-mouth, crack-free golden jamuns at home for Diwali!

Diwali celebration would not be fulfilled without Gulab Jamun for Indians. Not just for Diwali, we make this delicious sweet recipe for celebrations like New year, Birthday, anniversary to make it more special. It’s one of the most popular dessert recipes that tastes the best with Vanilla ice cream. Even beginners who are new in making sweets never fail to try jamun at least with store bought gulab jamun mix like MTR, Aachi, Gits during Diwali.

Long back, I had tried gulab jamun with homemade khova and posted here too. Then due to my laziness, I started making jamun using instant mix every year. But this year for Diwali, I was determined to try gulab jamun with khoya or milk powder. I used store bought khoya here. To make this sweet, I watched many video recipes and went through many recipes for the ratio of ingredients and tips to make perfect jamun. I came across few recipes with khoya and paneer too.

As its my first attempt with store bought khoya, I chose the gulab jamun recipe with khoya alone and tried it. After so many trials, I made a perfect gulab jamun following Chitra Viswanathan Mam’s recipe with slight changes. I was very happy to see my golden colored, soft and juicy gulab jamun. I made them like mini jamuns in very small size to suit my serving bowls. It did double in size and well soaked too. I have given the recipe for lesser quantity.

If you are attempting jamun with khoya for the first time, go ahead with this recipe. Once you get it perfect you can double this recipe and make in large quantity. Beginners, do follow the tips I have shared in this post. I am sure you will get the same results like me. Lets see how to make Gulab jamun using store bought khoya!

Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens

• Store-Bought Khoya Selection: In US and overseas Indian grocery stores (like Patel Brothers or Subzi Mandi), frozen unsweetened khoya (mawa) is readily available under brands like Nanak, Vadilal, Deep or Haldiram’s. Thaw the frozen block in the refrigerator overnight and bring it completely to room temperature before grating so it crumbles and kneads smoothly without hard lumps.
• Whole Milk Ricotta Alternative: If store-bought khoya is hard to find, full-fat whole milk ricotta cheese makes an excellent homemade substitute. Cook 15 oz of ricotta in a wide non-stick pan on medium heat until all excess moisture dries up and it forms a solid, crumbly mawa mass. Cool completely before measuring and kneading with maida.
• Electric Stove Heat Control: When deep frying on electric coil or smooth glass cooktops, maintain the burner on steady medium-low heat. Electric heating elements cycle intermittently and hold high heat; if the oil gets too hot, slide the pan off the burner momentarily before adding the jamuns so the outer crust does not brown before the center cooks.
• Sugar Syrup Density: Standard US granulated cane sugar dissolves cleanly. Simmer until the syrup feels sticky and glossy between fingertips; do not allow it to reach a single-thread stage, as syrup that is too thick will not penetrate the dense mawa balls.

Khoya Gulab Jamun Recipe (Gulab Jamun With Mawa)

Chitra

Learn how to make soft, melt-in-the-mouth, juicy gulab jamun with store-bought khoya (mawa). Tested tips for beginners to achieve crack-free, perfect golden jamuns every time!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sweet

Cuisine Indian

Servings 12 pieces

Ingredients

  

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For Jamun Balls

• ½ cup Unsweetened store-bought khoya (mawa) grated (approx. 100g / Milky Mist or Nanak brand)
• 3 tbsp All-purpose flour / Maida levelled
• 1/16 tsp Cooking soda (1 tiny pinch / half of 1/8 tsp)
• Salt 1 tiny pinch
• Water or milk 1 to 2 tsp (only if khoya is dry)
• Cooking oil or ghee for deep frying

For Sugar Syrup

• 1 cup Sugar (approx. 200g)
• 1 ½ cups Water (approx. 360 ml)
• ⅛ tsp Cardamom powder
• Saffron threads few (optional)
• 1 tsp Lemon juice (optional, prevents sugar crystallization)

Instructions

 

• Bring the khoya to room temperature. If it is soft and moist, crumble it thoroughly by hand; if it is firm, grate it using a box grater. Measure 1/2 cup grated khoya and knead it well with the heel of your palm for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and lump-free.
  
• Add maida, a small pinch of salt and cooking soda to the kneaded khoya. Mix gently to form a crumbly mixture. If the khoya is dry, sprinkle water or milk very little by little to form a smooth, soft, non-sticky dough. If the khoya is already moist, do not add any liquid. Cover and let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
  
• In the meantime, prepare the sugar syrup. In a pan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it reaches a sticky consistency (it should feel sticky and glossy between your fingers; no string consistency is required).
  
• Add cardamom powder and saffron strands if using. Turn off the flame and let the syrup cool down to warm. (Add 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice if you want to avoid sugar crystallization).
• Mandatory testing step for beginners: Pinch a tiny ball of dough, roll it smooth and crack-free. Heat oil or ghee in a kadai on low to medium heat. Check the oil temperature by dropping a tiny speck of dough; if it rises slowly to the surface, the temperature is ideal. Drop the test ball into the oil.
  
• Observe the test ball: It should double in size slowly and stay crack-free without dissolving. If the ball dissolves, the soda is slightly high—knead in a teaspoon of maida with a sprinkle of water. If cracks appear on the fried ball, moisten the dough with a teaspoon of milk or water and knead briefly.
• Divide the rest of the dough into small, smooth portions and roll gently between your palms into crack-free mini balls. Grease your palms with a drop of ghee if needed. Keep them covered with a moist cloth so they do not dry out.
• Reheat the oil on medium-low flame. Gently drop the balls into the oil without crowding. Do not touch them for the first 30 seconds. Gently swirl the oil with a slotted ladle so the jamuns rotate and brown evenly on all sides. Fry patiently on medium-low heat until evenly golden brown all over.
  
• Remove the fried jamuns with a slotted spoon, drain excess oil on a kitchen paper towel and immediately transfer them into the warm sugar syrup. Let them soak for 1 to 2 hours until they plump up and absorb the syrup. Serve warm or at room temperature!
  

Notes

• If using store-bought frozen khoya, thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before grating.

• Gulab jamun will dissolve in oil if excess cooking soda is added. Always measure soda accurately (just a tiny pinch).

• If the khoya is very moist, do not add any water to make the dough; excess moisture causes jamuns to flatten when frying. If that happens, mix in 1 teaspoon of extra maida.

• Do not add too much maida, as that makes the jamuns dense and hard in the center.

• Always fry on gentle medium-low heat so the jamuns cook completely through to the center without browning too quickly on the outside.

• The sugar syrup must be warm when adding the hot fried jamuns. If the syrup is cold, they will not soak; if the syrup is boiling hot, the jamun skin will peel off.

• Allow minimum 1 to 2 hours of soaking time for the jamuns to turn juicy and tender.

• Store at room temperature in a clean container for up to 2 days. Always use a dry, clean spoon when serving.

Keyword gulab jamun recipe, Gulab jamun with khoya, How to make gulab jamun, Khova gulab jamun

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Serve this warm, melt-in-the-mouth khoya gulab jamun on its own or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a festive treat!

For more traditional festive ideas, check out my complete collection of South Indian Diwali Sweets and Snacks Recipes.