Gulab Jamun Pudding: A Step by Step Guide to creating this recipe

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This recipe of Gulab Jamun Pudding takes inspiration from the Middle Eastern dessert Aish El Saraya. The components of Aish El Saraya are sweetened bread at the bottom, a layer of Ashta cream, and a generous topping of crushed pistachios. Ashta cream is made with thickening milk and cream with thickeners like cornstarch and/or white bread. It is flavored wonderfully with rose and orange blossom water. I had made it once and everyone loved it. Then I thought, why not take the same concept and give it an Indian twist? You know my love of Indian fusion desserts by now 😊

For my version of gulab jamun pudding, I kept the same concept but used saffron and cardamom powder to flavor the cream mix. A layer of cut gulab jamuns was also added. The dark gulab jamuns against the lighter cream and decoration of green pistachios give a nice color and textural contrast.

Gulab Jamun pudding is a great dessert to make for a gathering. It hardly takes 20 minutes of your time to assemble and can be done the morning of a party. The quantity the recipe serves is 24 people. I would highly recommend Gulab Jamun pudding for your next Diwali party. It is a unique Indian fusion dessert to impress your family and friends.

Recipe Outline for Gulab Jamun Pudding

Ingredients for Gulab Jamun Pudding

For the Pudding

1 litre Whole Milk
½ cup Heavy Cream
6 tablespoons Corn starch (also called Corn flour)
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons White Sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
Big pinch of saffron

Sugar Syrup

1 cup water
½ cup sugar

All other ingredients

12 gulab jamuns, drained
16-17 Thin Cake Rusk cookies
Slivered pistachios or almonds for garnish
Silver vark for garnish (optional)

Steps to Make Gulab Jamun Pudding

Follow these steps to make the best version of this gulab jamun pudding recipe:

We will use a 9 x 13 glass pan to assemble this pudding. Layer the cake rusk in a single layer in the pan. You may have to break 2-3 cookies to fit snugly in the pan, ensuring that the entire bottom is covered. (Picture # 1 below)
In a small saucepan combine water and sugar to make sugar syrup. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat when all the sugar is melted. Carefully pour the sugar syrup all over the layered rusk ensuring all the pieces are soaked.
Carefully cut the drained gulab jamun pieces in 2. You will have 24 pieces now. Layer the gulab jamun pieces, and cut side down on the rusk cookies. They should be symmetrically placed in a 6 x 4 pattern. (Picture # 2 below)
Now we work on the pudding mix. In a saucepan add milk, heavy cream, sugar, cornstarch, cardamom, and saffron. Whisk to combine. Now put the saucepan on medium heat on the stovetop. Heat the mixture while stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. The mix should have thickened and should coat the back of a spoon. (Picture # 3 below)
Carefully pour the hot pudding mix all around the layered gulab jamuns, being careful to avoid pouring it directly on the gulab jamuns. By the end the gulab jamuns should still be peeking out and visible. (Picture # 4 below)
Let this cool to room temperature. Once completely cool garnish with pistachios and/or almonds. You can also optionally place silver vark on some gulab jamun pieces.
Cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours till chilled. To serve cut pieces of pudding using the gulab jamun pieces as your guide. Each serving should get 1 piece of gulab jamun.

Recipe Tips to Make Gulab Jamun Pudding

Cake Rusks are available in a lot of different shapes and sizes of various brands in the Indian store. For this recipe, I prefer the thinner cake rusks as seen in the pictures. They are of Parle brand which are much thinner than the other ones I have seen.
It is important to pour hot pudding around the gulab jamuns. If you do not pour it immediately, the pudding will start to form a film on it and will get lumpy as you pour. Therefore, you should have all the steps of assembling complete before that.
For visual esthetics it is important for the gulab jamuns to peak through and not get completely covered in the pudding. So carefully pour the pudding all around the gulab jamuns. It helps to have a saucepan with a spout to make the pouring easier. If you see your pan getting full and the gulab jamuns submerging, it would be wise to save a bit of the pudding and not pour it.

FAQs

Where can I find cake rusk and gulab jamuns to make this recipe?

Your local Indian grocery store will carry a variety of different cake rusks. Try to find the Parle brand as their rusks are thin and better suited for this recipe. You can also find different brands of canned gulab jamuns at the Indian/Asian grocery stores. You can certainly make home made gulab jamuns but I tend to just buy them to save time and effort.

How far in advance can I make gulab jamun pudding recipe?

For maximum freshness, the pudding should be assembled the same day you serve it. It needs to chill for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly.

Can I make this recipe low-fat by using low fat milk and avoiding the heavy cream?

I would certainly not recommend that. This is not a diet food and should be enjoyed in its authentic creamy form but in moderation.

Other Indian fusion desserts using Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun Bundt Cake

Gulab Jamun Cupcakes

Gulab Jamun Cookies

Gulab Jamun Bundt Cake

Try this recipe

Gulab Jamun Cupcakes

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Gulab Jamun Cookies

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Recipe Card- Gulab Jamun Pudding