Gulab Jamun Ki Sabzi is a popular spicy curry from Jodhpur in Rajasthan (India). It is best enjoyed with any Indian flat bread or even hot, steamed rice!
WHAT IS "GULAB JAMUN"?
The word “gulab jamun” conjures up an image of a large bowl of juicy, sweet and heavenly golden brown balls of deep fried milk solids in a wonderful cardamom/rose infused sugar syrup! Made either from scratch using milk solids and flour and sometimes using a ready-made mix (easily available in the stores), this dessert is enjoyed all year round, especially during festivals and special occasions!
To make it a savory dish/curry, I have mixed in a bit of jeera/cumin seeds and salt to the dough before frying and then soaked them in an aromatic, thick and rich gravy/curry!
I had a handful of gulab jamun mix left from using up for the sabzi/curry that I ended up making some syrupy gulab jamun along with it as well! Now, how can I not resist another bowl of this heavenly Indian dessert?
WHAT IS GULAB JAMUN CURRY?
Being a food freak, I am totally looking out for new ways to make new dishes in my kitchen! This dish has been on my cooking radar for a few years and recently when I came across this super delicious dish on one of the street food videos on YouTube, I knew it was time to make it!
Instead of soaking the fried dough balls (gulab jamuns) in syrup, it is soaked in a spicy, tangy and mouth-watering rich gravy!
ORIGIN OF THIS HEAVENLY CURRY:
The royal town of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India! Deep fried gulab jamun balls are actually sold in many shops in Rajasthan for everyone to make it as a sweet dessert (in sugar syrup) or to dunk in spicy gravies!
THE GRAVY/CURRY/SABZI:
Keeping in mind all the festivals coming up in India (especially Diwali; festival of lights!) when onions and garlic are avoided (for religious or spiritual purposes), I have made it totally no-onion,no-garlic! But if you want, you can add onions and garlic.
Aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon etc, are simmered in a yogurt based gravy along with a thick paste of rich cashews and tomatoes. You will never miss the onions or garlic!
Once the gravy is simmering away, the savory fried gulab jamuns are dunked into the bubbling pot and simmered for just a few minutes before serving them right away!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Enjoy this Rajasthani no-onion, no-garlic, spicy, rich and tasty Gulab Jamun Ki Sabji with hot, parathas, rotis, phulkas, naan etc. or even rice, if you are rice lover!
I had to make my Methi Laccha Paratha to go with this! You can find the recipe to make this here.
UPDATED OCTOBER 24. 2019:
Just made another batch of delicious, heavenly and lip smacking GULAB JAMUN KI SABZI but with onions and garlic. I just sauteed some finely chopped onions and garlic along with the whole spices; rest of the recipe is the same. It came out so amazing, my family was reaching out for more methi theplas/rotis to savor that delicious curry!
Rustle up this savory, spicy Gulab Jamun Ki Sabzi/Curry this Diwali or for that matter on any day and enjoy with hot flat breads or rice; your family and friends are going to love it!
Do check out some other delicious Indian No-onion, No-garlic recipes that you can make this festival season HERE.
Enjoy and Happy Diwali!!!
Jodhpuri style savory Gulab Jamun Curry in a spicy, tangy, no, onion-no, garlic gravy; goes perfect with any Indian flat bread or even rice!
Ingredients
- 1 cup gulab jamun mix (I used Nandini; you can use any brand)
- ½ tsp jeera/cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- Milk for making dough
- Oil/ghee for frying
- 1 large tomato
- 8 to 10 cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
- 3 green chillies/jalapenos
- 1-inch piece ginger, chopped
- 1 cup yogurt, whipped smooth
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafetida powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed kasoori methi/fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamons stick
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons coriander/dhania powder
- 1 teaspoon jeera powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves/cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- Add salt to taste and jeera to the dry gulab jamun mix.
- Mix in milk, a few tablespoons at a time until you get a soft dough.
- Make it a bit sticky as the mixture will absorb milk and become dry.
- Keep aside for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, knead lightly to form a soft dough which does not stick to your hands.
- If needed, add more milk and if the dough is too sticky, stir in some maida or flour.
- Heat oil/ghee on medium high heat for about 5 minutes and then lower the heat to medium low.
- Grease your hands with some oil and make tiny smooth balls of the dough.
- Once the oil becomes warm (add a small piece of the dough into the oil and if it rises immediately, the oil is too hot and if it settles to the bottom, it is too cold; the dough balls should rise gently and then simmer in the warm oil/ghee).
- Keep flipping the dough balls continuously in the oil to fry evenly all over.
- When golden brown, remove and place on oil-absorbent paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
- Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Make a fine paste of tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and cashew.
- Keep aside.
- Heat oil/ghee in a large deep saucepan and once the oil is hot, add the dry spices: jeera, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; sauté on medium high for a few seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and fry well for a few minutes until the oil start to separate. At this point, you can remove the whole spices (cloves, cardamoms and bay leaf).
- Then add the dry spice powders: red chili powder, haldi, coriander and cumin powders.
- Give it a good mix and saute again for a few seconds until the oil separates.
- Lower the heat to medium low and add the whipped curd/yogurt along with hing and kasoori methi powders. Give it a good stir.
- Cook, stirring continuously (this prevents the yogurt from curdling).
- Close with a lid and cook on low heat for a few minutes until you see the fat/oil separating.
- Add salt to taste along with sugar (to balance the acidity of the yogurt). Give it a good mix.
- Stir in enough water/milk to make slightly watery gravy as once you add the gulab jamuns, they will soak up the gravy quickly!
- Adjust the salt and sugar to suit your taste.
- Gently add the fried savory gulab jamuns (just before serving) into the simmering gravy and heat for about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with methi laccha paratha or some phulkas, parathas, roti, naan etc.
- Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Notes
The fried gulab jamun balls can be fried ahead of time and then added to the gravy later.
Adjust the amount of spices according to personal preference.
If you like onions and garlic, you can add one grated onion and 2 cloves of grated garlic just before adding the tomato paste. Fry for a few minutes and then add the tomato paste.
Leftover fried, unsoaked gulab jamuns can be stored in fridge to make gravy or sugar syrup and enjoy later as a sweet or savory dish!
Make sure your gravy is diluted well before adding the gulab jamun dough balls.
Step-by-step Instructions to make "Gulab Jamun Ki Sabzi":
TO MAKE THE SAVORY GULAB JAMUN BALLS:
Add salt to taste and jeera to the dry gulab jamun mix.
Mix in milk, a few tablespoons at a time until you get a soft dough.
Make it a bit sticky as the mixture will absorb milk and become dry.
Keep aside for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, knead lightly to form a soft dough which does not stick to your hands.
If needed, add more milk and if the dough is too sticky, stir in some maida or flour.
Heat oil/ghee on medium high heat for about 5 minutes and then lower the heat to medium low.
Grease your hands with some oil and make tiny smooth balls of the dough. The trick is to keep pressing the dough ball ever so lightly and then form smooth, crack free balls.
Once the oil becomes warm (add a small piece of the dough into the oil and if it rises immediately, the oil is too hot and if it settles to the bottom, it is too cold; the dough balls should rise gently and then simmer in the warm oil/ghee).
Keep flipping the dough balls continuously in the oil to fry evenly all over.
When golden brown, remove and place on oil-absorbent paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
Continue with the rest of the dough.
TO MAKE THE TOMATO PASTE:
Make a fine paste of tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and cashew.
Keep aside.
TO MAKE THE GRAVY:
Heat oil/ghee in a large deep saucepan and once the oil is hot, add the dry spices: jeera, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaf; sauté on medium high for a few seconds.
Stir in the tomato paste and fry well for a few minutes until the oil start to separate. At this point, you can remove the whole spices (cloves, cardamoms and bay leaf).
Then add the dry spice powders: red chili powder, haldi, coriander and cumin powders.
Give it a good mix and saute again for a few seconds until the oil separates.
Lower the heat to medium low and add the whipped curd/yogurt along with hing and kasoori methi powders.
Give it a good stir.
Cook, stirring continuously (this prevents the yogurt from curdling).
Close with a lid and cook on low heat for a few minutes until you see the fat/oil separating.
Add salt to taste along with sugar (to balance the acidity of the yogurt). Mix well.
Stir in enough water/milk to make slightly watery gravy as once you add the gulab jamuns, they will soak up the gravy quickly!
Adjust the salt and sugar to suit your taste.
Gently add the fried savory gulab jamuns (just before serving) into the simmering gravy and heat for about 5 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with methi laccha paratha or some phulkas, parathas, roti, naan etc.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
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I am sharing this with:
Angie's FiestaFriday along with co-hosts of this week, Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Mila @ Milkandbun
Do check out other delectable dishes prepared by my friends at FB group DesiBloggersConnect:
Buckwheat Fruit Kheer (no sugar) by Seema
Badam Gulkand Katli by Jagruti
7-cups Burfi by Geetha Priyanka
Besan Badam Ladoo by Priya
Parwal Ki Mithai by Sasmita
Milk Powder Burfi by Pavani
Kashmiri Phirni by Piyali
Coconut Ladoos by Mayuri
Palak Ki Sev by Jayashree
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!!
This delicious savory, spicy and tangy Gulab Jamun Ki Sabzi is part of #DiwaliDhamaka with my friends from DesiBloggersConnect for this Diwali 2018! Do check out other innovative and super delicious culinary creations you can make for your Diwali or for that matter any time in the link below!
This is all a very new concept to me, but if I'm wrapping my head around it right, we're talking a sweet/spicy combo?! That's always a winner!
I would probably just eat all those little balls before I even got them in the sauce, they look so good!
Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Thanks so much Mollie 🙂 Actually, as a popular Indian dessert called "Gulab Jamuns", the fried milk balls are usually dipped and soaked in sugar syrup flavored with some cardamom powder or rose water.
But in this unique curry, the fried milk balls (which by the way have no taste of their own; just some milk solids and flour, deep fried) are soaked in a spicy and savory gravy and enjoyed like a curry with Indian flat breads! Hope it has cleared your confusion 🙂 🙂
Happy to share this with Fiesta Friday 🙂 🙂
I saw paratha and realized that how long I haven't had it! yum yum
And that gravy - I almost can feel its amazing smell! I wish I could take a huge bowl of this meal through the screen 😀
Thank you so much dear 🙂 🙂 I hope you get to try this soon!
What a wonderful and unique curry Vanitha. I've heard of using rasgulla for a curry but never gulab jamun. Love the recipe and hopefully will be able to try out soon.
Thanks so much Mayuri 🙂 Hey, I must try the rasgulla version too!!
Wow, what a twist!!! thrilled and bowled over to see this.
Thanks so much dear Seema 🙂 You must try this; so easy yet so delicious!
I have bookmarked this gulab jamun ki sabzi long back and yet to make these fabulous dish. Fingerlicking dish definitely. Love that this dish is completely no onion and no garlic. Inviting sabzi there.
Thanks so much dear 🙂 Me too; it was in my to-make list like forever and now got to make it!