In Trinidad there’s a maker of sweets but I think he should be called a master of sweets. Uncle Sonah is his name, that’s what everyone calls him, even me. So when I wanted to make Trinidad’s version of Gulab Jamun for the first time, he’s the man I called for advice. His gulab jamuns are legendary, he makes them by the thousands and I’ve been fortunate to eat a few of his snowy white, super tender confections. Now in addition to me never having made this dessert I decided to go the extra mile, and Pumpkin it up.
My intent was to fuse gulab jamun with pumpkin spice cake donut, and that’s what I set out to do. But before we delve into the specifics, let’s get some context, let’s get some questions answered like… What is gulab jamun? Where did it come from? Why is the Indian gulab jamun and Trinidadian gulab jamun different? Why can’t coffee breaks at work last two hours? *thinking of a way I can mention this to management* Okay…Now let’s do this!
What is Gulab Jamun?
Gulab Jamun is an Indian version of a donut or fritter. While popular in India, versions can be found in Trinidad and Tobago and countries that have an East Asian population. Gulab Jamuns are served at special occasions, festivals, religious events, and as a delicious sweet treat when treating with sweets is required. I particularly like that last one.
The dough usually contains milk solids, flour, butter or ghee and is deep fried. In the popular Indian version, after frying, the Gulab Jamuns are dunked in a sweet syrup then enjoyed when they’re plump, and bursting with sticky syrup.
In Trinidad the application and method of cooking the sugar syrup differs slightly. The sugary syrup is boiled longer, then it’s poured onto the fritters and solidifies into a snowy sugary coating.
Gulab Jamun Shape
Gulab Jamuns are primarily round and spherical in shape or elongated.
Origin of Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun has both Persian and Indian influences in its etymology. The word gulab means rose water in Persian and the tradition of soaking the gulab jumuns in rose water scented syrup likely reflects Persian culinary practices. According to Melitta Weiss Adamson, author of Food in Medieval Times “Rose petals were already used in Persian cookery to perfume and flavor dishes long before the technique of distilling rose water was developed.” It’s believed by some that Arabs began using rose water in their culinary practices and along the way introduced it to India. And so we’ve got that first part of the name sorted.
Jamun is a fruit native to India. It could very well be, many years ago, when the first version of this dessert was created, someone with a keen eye noticed the resemblance to the fruit and decided to aptly name it. So as the saying goes 1+1=2, gulab (rose water)+jamun (fruit) = Gulab Jamun. Now I never did particularly like mathematics, I was more of an English and Literature kinda student but that’s another story for another time.
The real question is, who made the first gulab jamun and what was that first version like? Unfortunately the truth isn’t sugar coated like a gorgeous gulab jamun. No one can say with certainty who formulated that first sweet concoction but, whoever did so knew they were on to something after that very first bite.
What’s the difference between Trinidad’s Gulab Jamun and India’s?
The obvious difference lies in appearance. Trinidadian Gulab Jamun is oblong and coated in crystalized sugar while Gulab Jamun from India is round, ball shaped and soaked in syrup. The type of milk solids used, the ratio between flour and milk solids, spices, syrup consistency and the way both are served are also different. In Trinidad the sweet treat Rasgulla looks identical to the round, syrup soaked Indian gulab jamun yet in India there’s a white syrup soaked sweet of the same name made from a curdled cottage cheese type dough. While there are a few differences, both versions are delicious and have their individual merits as far a sweets go.
Pumpkin Spice Gulab Jamun
My recipe uses pumpkin purée and is spiced with pumpkin spice (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and all spice). I used canned purée in this recipe but it’s very easy to make your own at home via steaming or oven roasting. In my recipe for Pumpkin Biscuits I used homemade pumpkin purée so have a read if you’re interested in how I did it.
Now…let’s talk texture. These pumpkin spice gulab jamuns are soft, moist and have an incredible crumb. Remember when I told you earlier I wanted to create a cake donut and gulab jamun hybrid? I’m happy to report I did just that! I tweaked and tested this recipe until I got it just the way I wanted it…Perfect!
I appreciate all things traditional but it’s important to note that as time goes on traditions evolve, they adapt and then what is new becomes old again and becomes a part of trusted tradition. I’d like these Pumpkin Spice Gulab Jamuns to become part of my family’s tradition. The warm spices, the delicious mix of flavours, the texture, and the delight of dunking one of these pumpkin spice gulab jamuns in a hot cup of coffee….pure, cozy, bliss.
Trinidad Gulab Jamun – Pumpkin Spice
Course: DessertCuisine: Trinidad and Tobago, IndianDifficulty: Medium5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
- Dough
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Pumpkin Purée*
1/4 cup Condensed Milk
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. Milk Powder (Full Fat)
2 tsp. Pumpkin Spice
2 tsp. Ground Ginger
Pinch Sea Salt
3/4 cup Butter
Oil for frying
- Syrup
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Directions
- Dough
- Combine the wet ingredients: pumpkin purée, condensed milk, and set aside
- Add the dry ingredients to a bowl: flour, milk powder, spices and salt, stir to combine
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients, then rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles sand
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, then using a spatula or hands bring the mixture together until it forms a smooth dough. Do not knead the dough.
- Portion out the dough, using light pressure roll into a ball, and using the palm of hands roll into an elongated shape.
- Bring oil to a medium temperature, then fry the dough a few at a time until evenly brown.
- Remove from the the oil then set aside to cool.
- Syrup
- Combine the water, sugar and grated ginger, bring to a bubbly boil.
- Cook the mixture until it has thickened, can coat the spoon and can form a continuous steady stream when drizzled from a spoon.
- Remove the syrup from the stovetop then drizzle on, gently stir to coat the fritters then allow the sugar to solidify until it forms a white layer.
Notes
- Pumpkin Purée- For the best results use canned pumpkin. Homemade can be used but variants in homemade purée will affect the moisture content of your dough. If making homemade purée be sure to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Do not overwork or knead the dough.
- If your dough is is too sticky, let it rest for 15 mins in the fridge
- Avoid over crowding the pan when frying
- For the best results, allow the fritters to cool slightly before adding the hot syrup. This prevents breakage and allow them to maintain their shape
- Always apply caution around hot sugar syrup. DO NOT attempt to taste syrup while cooking. Hot Syrup can cause serious burns.
