Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Gulab Jamun
137 kcal a serving, against 336 for the traditional version. That is 199 kcal off, or 59%, with 6.4g of protein. Serves 10. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Soft dough balls made from rich milk solids and plain flour, dropped into a vat of boiling ghee until they turn dark brown, and then left to soak overnight in a heavy syrup of sugar and cardamom until they swell.
What changed, and what each change costs
58g of absorbed frying ghee for 15g brushed on a baking tray
Deep-frying forces the dough to absorb a staggering amount of liquid fat before it even hits the sugar. I brush a tiny bit of ghee onto the dumplings and roast them in a hot oven instead. You still get a hint of browned butter flavour.
What it costs you. You lose the perfectly even, dark brown crust. Baked dough balls always end up with a flat bottom and a slightly uneven colour. That's just the reality of baking. They don't look as pretty.
500g of sugar down to 80g
The traditional method uses so much sugar that it crystallises on your teeth. I boil a much smaller amount of sugar with a splash of water and lemon juice, creating just enough syrup to coat the baked balls.
What it costs you. Call it a firmer dessert rather than a squishy, saturated sponge anymore and you'll be about right. There's no getting around it. The syrup stays on the outside rather than penetrating to the core, so the centre remains dry like a cake.
400g of standard ricotta up to 500g of light ricotta
Since I cut the volume of the syrup and the frying fat, I need to bulk out the actual dumplings to make this a filling portion. Using a larger amount of light ricotta increases the volume while keeping the fat profile low.
What it costs you. Light ricotta has less fat to lubricate the dough. You've got to knead it very carefully, and the final texture is slightly chalkier than a traditional khoya ball.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 336 | 137 |
| Protein | 3.9g | 6.4g |
| Fat | 10g | 5.5g |
| Saturated fat | 6.1g | 3.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 59.3g | 15.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.2g | 4.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
This is the first time I've had to compromise this much. The traditional version is a flawless dessert, and I openly admit that my baked alternative does not match it. What you get here is a dense, cardamom-spiced ricotta cake with a sticky, sweet crust. It satisfies the craving for an Indian dessert, but it leaves you feeling light and energetic instead of incredibly tired.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback