RAWALPINDI: Soft caramel coloured Gulab Jamun, dripping with sugar syrup flavoured with cardamom and rosewater are a popular sweetmeat in South Asia, served both hot and cold.

Eggs, dry milk powder, congealed milk fat called Khoya and fine wheat flour is used to prepare the dough for Gulab Jamun. The dough is rolled into small balls which are deep fried in cooking oil or clarified butter.

These balls are then soaked in flavoured sugar syrup and finally garnished with Khoya or pistachio before being served.

In the winters, Gulab Jamun is mostly eaten hot.

The heat further softens the Gulab Jamun and melts the sugar syrup further enhancing the flavours. Today, the hot Gulab Jamun no longer has to be served fresh from the frying pan as microwaves can be used to achieve the flavour of a fresh Gulab Jamun.

A traditional dessert, Gulab Jamun is enjoyed all over the subcontinent in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The flavours of the Dehli and Amritsar Gulab Jamun are often compared with that made by Bengali people. Whatever one’s preference may be, no celebration is complete without the serving of this sweat meat.

There are a number of places in Rawalpindi where one could buy this delicious treat; however, the shops in Saddar in the Cantonment area and Murree Road in the old city are known to be the best places to buy Gulab Jamun.

Jamil Sweets, Rashid Sweets, Nirala Sweets and Dhaka Sweets sell hundreds of kilogrammes of sweetmeats each day. To fill special orders for official parties in Islamabad, Gulab Jamuns are delivered from these shops to embassies, secretariats and sometimes even to the Prime Minister House.

Gulab Jamuns arranged in a shop, ready for sale.

Jamil Sweets at Bank Road is a name associated with desserts full of the rich flavour of Khoya and clarified butter.

The owner of the shop, Mohammad Haroon said: “We sell a lot of Gulab Jamuns in the winter as many customers enjoy eating them fresh. We use a lot of Khoya but never dry milk or preservatives. Instead we use fresh milk.”

He said his grandfather established a sweetmeat shop by the name of Rasheed Sweets in 1964. After his death in 1982, his father separated from the family business and established a separate shop called Jamil Sweets. Since then the shop has opened four branches in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

“Along with Barfi, Gulab Jamun is our bestselling item,” he said.

“General Pervez Musharraf often visited our shop on Bank Road to have Gulab Jamun. He loves hot Gulab Jamuns and we still deliver them to his house,” he said.

Muhammad Riaz, a visitor at this shop, said that hot Gulab Jamun is a treat to have in the winter. “I enjoyed this plate of two Gulab Jamuns that I ordered so much I finished it within minutes,” he said.

He said that he prefers traditional desserts over cakes and pastries from bakeries.

The Gulab Jamun sold at Rasheed Sweets is slightly different in flavour and texture. This Gulab Jamun is fluffier and sweeter than Jamil Sweets’. When eaten hot, Rasheed Sweets’ Gulab Jamun just melts on the tongue leaving a sweet aftertaste. With its own unique taste, this Gulab Jamun is less rich and lighter.

Hassan Qureshi, a resident of Chaklala Scheme-III, said the mouthwatering Gulab Jamuns and Burfi are his favourite desserts.

“There are many shops in the city but I come to Rasheed Sweets because this shop is cleaner than the others,” he added.

“One can judge the freshness of ingredients from the smell and the taste,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

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