Khoya - Kala Jamuns

Khoya - Kala Jamuns

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups -sugar
2 cups - khoya (available in indian stores)
3/4 cups - paneer (indian cottage cheese)
2 to 3 tbsp - plain flour
1/2 tsp - cardamom powder
milk to bind, approx 1 to 2 tbsp
4 cups - water
pinch - saffron
few drops - rose essence (optional)

Method

Grate the Khoya and Paneer and mix well.
Add the flour,cardamom powder and mash them all together till everything gets combined well.
For the store bought varities, a potato masher would be a great idea(!!).
If dry, add few drop of milk to bind them together.
Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup. Combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil.
Simmer till the syrup reaches a single thread consistancy.
Add the saffron and the essence and stor well.(Dip the spoon in the syrup, take it out carefully (it wud be HOT), touch it with the tip of your forefinger to pick a drop of syrup.
Touch your forefinger with your thumb and pull apart slowly, to see how many threads are stretched between your finger and thumb.
When you get a single thread, switch off the heat)
Now make small balls, about the size of ping pong balls making sure the surface is smooth.
You can shape it into an oblong or just a round.
Heat Ghee -for deep frying - ( it tastes much better than jus vegetable oil and this is the authentic preparation),
drop a pinch of dough in it, and if it comes up immedietely, then lower the heat to a minimum and drop the balls in the ghee.
The trick is to keep the heat minimum and cook the balls for a long time till it gets dark.
If on high heat, the outer layer gets cooked faster but the insides remain uncooked.
Drop them in the syrup immedietely.
Usually when the temp is v low, the syrup starts becoming a solid mass soon, so keep it inside a preheated Oven to keep it in a liquid state.
Soak it for a while and you are ready to feast a Bengali special!.
Decorate it with dessicated coconut or nuts :)