Sweet start - Nut and dry fruits Gulab Jamun

Making Gulab Jamuns has become a lot easy with the availability of ready to mix products.However getting the perfect, soft gulab jamun which is properly cooked at centre and not burnt outside is a tricky job. I tried this stuffed gulab jamun one Deepavali and from then on it has become a family favorite. Its easy to make but requires a little patience.
Now for the recipe.

For the Gulab Jamuns
500 gm MTR Gulab jamun mix.
1/2 cup milk.
1 cup of mixed nuts and dried fruits (pista, badam, cashews, raisins, dates and others).
Ghee or oil for frying.

For the syrup
2 litres of water.
3 to 4 drops of rose essence or oil.
1 cardamon.
200 grams sugar.

Making of Syrup
1. Take a heavy bottomed and wide dish.
2. Slowly dissolve all the sugar in the water.
3. Place the dish on stove (at high flame) and bring to a boil.
4. Crush the cardamon and add to the syrup.
5. Let the syrup boil till it becomes slightly thick.
6. Check consistency by dipping a spoon it shouldn't be running freely or sticking to the spoon and should be straw yellow in color.
7. Add the rose essence and keep the syrup covered.

Making the stuffed Gulab Jamuns
1. Finely chop the nuts and dried fruits or alternately whip them together in a blender for 2 seconds.
2. Empty the contents of the Gulab Jamun mix add neccessary milk and knead it. (Not all milk is needed so do it slowly adding the milk little by little. Keep about a table spoon of the mix aside).
3. Make a small ball of the mix and using your thumb make dent in it, slowly form an cup shape, place half a teaspoon of the stuffing inside and close it.
4. Wet your fingers and make the ball (This is to avoid the balls splitting while frying them). Make other balls like this with the mixture and dough.
5. Heat ghee or oil in a kadai and deep fry the balls still golden.
6. Drain them and soak it in the hot syrup for at least 3 hours and SERVE HOT STUFFED GULAB JAMUNS !!!!.

You can do the same with a variety of stuffing. The stuffing i have tried and loved are:
1. Milk Khoa (very yummy.....)
2. Just dates and figs.
3. Grated coconut.
4. Melon seeds.

Try them out this festival season and treat your family !!!!

Note: Be careful of how much you consume as this is really a heavy dish. But what are festivals for :)