Gulab jamun
Gulab jamun (also spelled gulaab jamun) is a sweet, originating in the Indian subcontinent and a type of mithai popular in India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives (where it is known as gulab ki janu), and Bangladesh, as well as Myanmar. It is the national dessert of Pakistan. It is also common in nations with substantial populations of people with South Asian heritage, such as Mauritius, Fiji, Gulf states, the Malay Peninsula, Great Britain, South Africa, and the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. It is made mainly from milk solids, traditionally from "khoya", which  is milk reduced to the consistency of a soft dough. Modern recipes call for dried or powdered milk instead of "khoya". It is often garnished with dried nuts such as almonds and cashews to enhance flavour. Preparation. In the Indian subcontinent, milk and cheese solids are prepared by heating milk over a low flame for a long time until the water content has evaporated and only the milk solids remain. These milk solids, known as "khoya", are kneaded into a dough, with a large amount of flour (maida). There are many gulab jamun mixtures on the market, which are blended  with water/milk to make the dough. The dough is then shaped into small balls and deep-fried in oil or ghee (clarified butter) at a low temperature of about until they get their familiar golden brown color. If the balls are cooked quickly, they will be raw on the inside. The fried balls are then soaked in a light sugar syrup flavored with green cardamom and rose water, kewra or saffron. Hot gulab jamun is often served with vanilla ice-cream or Kulfi. Origins. Luqmat al-qadi was first prepared in medieval Iran and was derived from a fritter  that Central Asian Turkic conquerors brought to India. Another theory claims that it was accidentally prepared by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's personal chef. The word "gulab" is derived from the Persian words "gol" (flower) and "āb" (water), referring to the rose water-scented syrup. "Jamun" or "jaman" is the Hindi word for "Syzygium jambolanum", an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum. Jamun is also defined as a fried delicacy in sugar syrup. The Arab dessert "luqmat al-qadi" is similar to gulab jamun, although it uses a different batter. According to  the culinary historian Michael Krondl, both luqmat al-qadi and gulab jamun may have derived from a Persian dish, with rose water syrup being a common connection between the two. Consumption customs. "Gulab jamun" is a dessert often eaten at festivals, birthdays or major celebrations such as marriages, the Muslim celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the Hindu festivals of Diwali (the Indian festival of light) and Ganesh Chaturthi (the coming of Lord Ganesha). There are various types of "gulab jamun" and every variety has a distinct taste and appearance. Variants. India. "Gulab jamun" gets its  brownish red colour because of the sugar content in the milk powder ("khoya"). In other types of "gulab jamun", sugar is added in the batter, and after frying, the sugar caramelization gives it its dark, almost black colour, which is then called "kala jamun" or "black jamun". The sugar syrup may be replaced with (slightly) diluted maple syrup for a "gulab jamun". Homemade "gulab jamun" is usually made up of khoya, a pinch of all-purpose flour/refined wheat flour/ wheat flour (optional), baking powder and clarified butter (ghee); milk kneaded to form a dough, moulded into balls, deep fried  and dropped into simmering sugar syrup. Pantua is similar to "gulab jamun", and could be called a Bengali variant of that dish. Ledikeni, a variation of Pantua, is another variant of "gulab jamun". It is said to have been invented by Bhim Chandra Nag on the occasion of a visit by Lady Canning, the wife of Charles Canning, the Governor-General of India during 1856–62. Katangi, a town near Jabalpur is famous for "Jhurre Ka Rasgulla", which has been made there for the past 100 years. It is several times the size of normal gulab jamuns and is prepared in  local desi ghee. In Rajasthan, instead of soaking gulab jamun balls in sugar syrup, they are cooked in gravy made from spices, nuts and tomato to make popular Gulab Jamun ki Sabzi. Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, Pantua is available almost everywhere throughout the country, which can be referred to a Bengali variation of Gulab jamun. Also there are two kinds of jamuns that are famous. They are Golap Jam (গোলাপ জাম) and Kalo Jam (কালো জাম).