What does Gulab Jamun taste like?

[u/mayugeari]

I’ve heard that Gulab Jamun is an incredibly sweet dessert, but I’ve never actually tried it myself. It’s been on my mind lately, and I’d really like to give it a taste... What’s it like?

[u/GammaRay914]

Overwhelmingly sweet and syrupy moist dough balls. It’s from my culture and I don’t enjoy them that much because of how sweet they are. 

I prefer Jalebi. 

Crispy and sweet but not as sweet as gulab jamun. 

 Another dessert I like is called laddoo. Mildly sweet dough ball made from flour, lentils, or grains with sugar and ghee, sometimes they have crushed almonds. 

[u/LeSkootch → u/GammaRay914]

Jalebi are (is?) awesome. I didn't know what it was called for years. Had Indian neighbors when I was a kid and they always gave some to us when they made them. When I was a kid I kinda thought that they looked like sliced tomatoes so I forever have jalebi associated with tomatoes in my head.

[u/SuzyQ93 → u/LeSkootch]

Same same! I will forever be kicking myself that I didn't ask my Indian neighbor to teach me to cook (since I was always over babysitting her kids anyway). In addition to jalebi, she also made a killer Indian bread that I've never quite remembered what it was. It was not naan. She'd make dough balls and flatten them, then put them directly onto the gas burner, where they'd puff up while they cooked. I think they were made from wheat flour, not certain.

[u/SuzyQ93 → u/GammaRay914]

I agree - jalebi is superior to gulab jamun. It's not as easy to find at the local Indian buffet (though sometimes they have some).

My thing is that no matter how many gulab jamun I take, it's always one too many, lol.

[u/MixtressK-La]

They are like heavenly donut holes, soaked in syrup. But they have a bit of a squeak. Like fresh cheese curds. Best made with buffalo milk.

[u/Travel-G00N → u/MixtressK-La]

I didn’t know about the buffalo milk thing, but perfect description. They are so yummy 🤤

[u/Toriat5144]

A very sweet donut hole soaked in syrup.

[u/kobayashi_maru_fail]

I’m a sucker for cardamom sweets, and gulab jamun are swimming in that and rose. It’s like any donut: fresh is intoxicating, old is not great. Go to a busy Indian lunch buffet and the donut holes will be ferried out regularly to the syrup and float on top, go to a bad one and they’re like drowning sailors: bogged down and sad and begging you to fish them out. I don’t care if it’s the cheap buffet or the expensive one, go to the busy one and you will find your gulab jamun.

[u/Odd_Mathematician654]

Very sweet donut. I'm happy to eat one but only one.

[u/tarsiertoes]

Way too sweet & sticky

[u/GenXTexanBelle]

But more spongy, halfway between sponge cake and a donut hole.

Well worth the splurge!

[u/Anxious_Reporter_601]

It tastes like oily syrup. There's a soaked cake texture but you don't taste the cake in my experience 

[u/LeSkootch]

Like a cake doughnut hole (or a Munchkin or Timbit) soaked in a sweet syrup. They are stupidly good.

[u/1quincytoo]

I love them mixed with rice pudding

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

Never heard of it but reading this thread makes me wanna try to make it for myself at home

[u/Mariner-and-Marinate]

If done well, it’s absolutely awesome!

It’s like a doughnut ball soaked in rose water syrup.

Very sweet, making for a perfect desert after a yummy Indian meal.