BHA & BHT Free Gulab Jamun
These soft, syrup-soaked milk dumplings are one of the most beloved sweets in South Asian cuisine, and making them from scratch at home means you control every single ingredient that goes into them. Store-bought versions and many commercial sweets rely on preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, so skipping those entirely is genuinely easier when you're working with a short, clean ingredient list like this one. The dough comes together from full-fat milk powder, a little flour, baking soda, butter, and just enough whole milk to bring it to a soft, pliable texture — nothing hidden, nothing processed. Each ball is fried low and slow in canola or sunflower oil until it turns a deep, even golden brown and puffs up beautifully, then goes straight into a warm cardamom-and-rose-water syrup to soak and plump. The result is pillowy, fragrant, and almost impossibly tender, with that floral syrup soaking all the way through to the center. A scatter of slivered pistachios on top adds a little color and crunch that makes the whole plate look like it came from a proper mithai shop. Once you've made these yourself, it's very hard to go back to anything pre-packaged.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp rose water
For the dough
- 1 cup milk powder (full-fat)
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3–4 tbsp whole milk, as needed
For frying
- 2 cups neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower), for frying
For serving
- 2 tbsp slivered pistachios (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, sugar, and crushed cardamom pods in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the syrup is slightly thickened and coats a spoon lightly. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water, and keep warm over the lowest heat setting.
- 2
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk powder, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. Add the softened butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs with no visible butter pieces.
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