KALAJAMUN / KALOJAM

I was thinking of preparing a sweet that is hassle free, related to my origin, Bengal / Kolkata, yet people elsewhere can identify with it. This is Kalajamun or Kalojam which belongs to the Gulabjamun family. Though not as popular as gulabjamun, I love it a lot because of my love for the fried sweets. I remember our mom used to scold me for this. In our home, the preferred sweet option had always been the Rasgulla / Roshogolla. Roshogolla was considered a healthier choice. I loved the kalajamun, gulabjamun, jilipi, chanar jilipi, langcha varieties. I enjoy going back to those sweet old memories.

It may be after relocating to this island that I started enjoying the roshogolla like the parents & the brother! Our son had been eating roshogolla since his rice feeding ceremony. For few years, each day evening, two roshogollas were allowed for him! T not only loves the roshogolla but is too particular about it's quality! T's family are sweet connoisseur and welcomed a variety of sweets in their home, but of good quality from the known shops! Our parents only allowed roshogolla & few sandesh varieties, the rest of the pithe, naru, moya were prepared by the mother! I craved for the fried sweets, though I was not a sweet lover as such!

My reason for choosing this sweet is that I loved it a lot once upon a time. I thought let me give it a try and see how the home made ones taste. I think I have done justice, it came out just like the shop ones; it was a bit hard outside and soft and juicy inside. I came across some Bangladeshi sites and saw this sweet is popular there. I went through similar recipes of Rownak, Siddika Kabir, Khadija who are popular chefs from there. I opted for Khadija's way of doing it because I had all the ingredients at home that were required in the recipe. I have provided a stepwise picture for it. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :[for the balls]

Milk Powder : 1/3 coffee mug + 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Refined Flour : 1/4 coffee mug
Semolina : 1tbsp
Ghee[clarified butter] : 1tbsp
Baking Powder : 1/2tsp
Baking Soda : A pinch or two
Yellow Food Colour : A pinch or two
Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
Milk : 1/2small tea cup
Oil : 150-200 ml [for frying]

INGREDIENTS :[for the syrup]

Sugar : 1 small tea cup
Water : 1 1/2 coffee mug
Green Cardamom : 3-4

METHOD :

In a large bowl; take the milk powder, flour, semolina, baking powder & soda. Mix well.

Add the ghee to it and rub well for 2-3 minutes. 

Add the green cardamom powder, mix well!

I prepared the milk adding 1tbsp milk to half a small cup of warm water, you can use cow milk! Add the yellow food colour to the milk, mix well! Add it little by little and knead well until it becomes a dough not too hard neither soft. It will look as below.

Let it stand for 5-6 minutes covered with a soft cloth. If it seems dry, add a little more of milk & knead again, then shape!

Pour the water, sugar in a heavy bottomed vessel. When it comes to a boil, add the green cardamoms. Let it simmer till it gets  a light sticky consistency.

Simultaneously, we have to prepare small round balls from the dough and fry them at low heat until dark in colour. Cristine shaped them!

We would keep the fried balls onto a tissue paper for few minutes, before adding to the boiling sugar syrup! We would boil them for 3-4 minutes & switch off the gas stove, rest them for a while before taking out!

Take together a tbsp of milk powder and a tsp of ghee, mix together! Arrange the sweets in a serving bowl, pour the sugar syrup on them. Sprinkle the milk powder & ghee / clarified butter mix on each of them!

Or sprinkle with mewa / mawa / khoya!

They taste best when had warm!