Ingredients

• 2 Cups milk powder
• ½ cup maida (all purpose flour)
• ½ tsp. soda bicarb
• ¼ tsp. cardamom powder (optional)
• 3 tbsp. melted ghee or butter
• ½ cup water
• Ghee/Oil for frying

Optional (for stuffing the gulab jamuns)

• Few shelled pistas
• Lump sugar (Khadisakkar/misri)

Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• 6 whole cardamoms, press to open them a little
• Pinch of Saffron (Kesar)

1. Dilute the sugar with the water and boil alongwith cardamoms to a watery syrup. I prefer a light syrup.
2. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes, add the saffron if using. 
3. While the syrup is boiling, mix the milk powder and maida alongwith the soda bicarb and cardamom powder (if using). 
4. Add the melted ghee and mix well. 
5. Knead adding little water at a time into a soft dough.
6. Roll into 30 small round balls (they swell on frying and further swell when immersed in the syrup). 
7. You can stuff the gulab jamun with pista or misri with a bit of saffron if desired.
8. Heat ghee/oil in a kadai for deep frying.
9. Reduce the flame and fry the balls in batches of 10 or so, on low flame to a golden brown. 
10. If the fire is high the inside of the gulab jamun may remain uncooked.
11. Remove, add to the syrup and set aside for the syrup to be absorbed. Serve preferably warm..