Kala Jamun

If Khoya Gulab Jamun is the classic beauty, Kala Jamun is her sleek, glossy and effortlessly elegant sister. Deep fried balls made with mawa and paneer are drenched in a sugar syrup. These are perfectly soft & spongy inside.

Truly the "little black dress" of Indian sweets.

Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published January 26th, 2010. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.

Ask the childhood version of me what her favourite sweet was and she'd reply kala jamun without hesitation! Even at a young age, I'd watch my Mum make these - simply because I couldn't wait to eat them!

Overtime, by assisting her, I learnt the techniques required for perfect kala jamun. What are perfect kala jamun you may ask? They should have:

• a deep, dark outer layer without any cracks
• a soft & juicy inside and evenly soaked with the sugar syrup all the way through the middle.

They're made with khoya, paneer, plain flour, and stuffed with saffron and nuts. A pinch of sugar added to the dough makes the jamuns darker in colour.

They're best served without too much of the syrup, can be rolled in coconut or served with whipped cream. We've even made a fusion version: chocolate peanut butter kala jamun!

You can even take things a step further. Imagine those inky black kala jamun tucked into my gulab jamun cheesecake or in gulab jamun truffles. The contrast is stunning!

Ingredients notes & tips

Mawa - I make mine at home, specifically a smooth mawa made from milk powder. It's already soft, making it much easier to work with than store-bought. If you do get it from the store, first grate it and then use in the recipe.

Paneer - like mawa, I also make paneer from scratch. It's very easy and you basically get chhena (the cheese that forms from curdling milk). You don't even have to wait for it to set - just drain away the excess whey.

Sugar - a little white granulated sugar is added to the dough to help with caramelisation and also needed to make the sugar syrup.

Nuts - chopped almonds and pistachios for the stuffing and optionally for decorating

Saffron and cardamom - also needed for the filling and for the sugar syrup. For the stuffing, I've used crushed cardamom seeds. For the sugar syrup, whole cardamom pods.

Baking powder - a little baking powder helps make the kala jamun soft.

Lemon juice - added to the sugar syrup to prevent crystallising. Bottled or fresh work.

Oil - needed for deep frying. I've used sunflower oil and I suggest using a similar flavourless oil.

Garnishing - edible silver leaf.

How to make Kala Jamun & My Tips

Follow the step by step process below or follow along with the video recipe found in the recipe card below.

Make the sugar syrup

In a sauce pan, combine water and sugar. Cook on medium heat to dissolve the sugar and stir occasionally. Add saffron threads and crushed cardamom pods (I find they release more flavour that way). Once the syrup gets a little stickier on your fingers (careful not to burn yourself!) and thicker, turn off the heat. Add lemon juice to prevent the sugar syrup from crystallising.

The chashni process will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the kala jamun dough

Set aside a few spoons of mawa. You will need it for the small stuffing balls later.

Knead the khoya and paneer using the palms of your hands until smooth and lump free. Bring together to form a mass.

Add a spoon of plain flour (maida) at a time to help the mixture hold its shape; the dough should be soft, not stiff. If it feels dry, I soften with a few drops of milk — if sticky, I dust with a touch more flour.

Next I add the sugar and baking powder and knead to combine well. However, I do not overwork the dough as the flour will activate gluten and make the kala jamun chewy.

Making the stuffing and shaping

Now you'll need the mawa you set aside earlier. To it, add saffron, nuts and cardamom powder. Divide equally into small pea sized balls.

Now divide your dough into equal portions. Shape into round, smooth and crack free balls by placing a little stuffing ball inside. As you prepare each one, keep the balls covered in a clean slightly damp cloth to prevent drying out.

Note - you cannot directly add the nuts, saffron and cardamom to the whole dough. It will disturb the texture of the kala jamun.

 Frying and Soaking 

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. To check the heat is optimal, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should rise slowly and only have a few bubbles around it. If it browns too fast, the heat is too high. If you have a thermometer, aim for the oil temperature 150C.

Fry the balls gently, with continuous gently stirring. This helps with slow, even caramelisation until they are deep brown to near-black. Darken gradually - avoid high heat or they’ll burn on the outside and stay raw inside.

As you do this, check on the heat of the syrup. It should be warm, not unbearably hot or too cold. You should comfortably be able to keep your finger inside the syrup or use a thermometer and aim for a temperature of 50C. Too hot and the jamun can split, too cold and the jamun won't absorb the syrup.

Remove the kala jamun from the oil and immediately immerse the hot jamuns into the warm syrup. Cover and leave to soak. This process takes a couple of hours - I recommend overnight. Keep stirring to allow the syrup to absorb all the way through.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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