Step 1: Heat water in a large pan. Add sugar and cook till it dissolves completely. Add the milk and and wait till the scum floats on top.

Step 2 : Remove with a ladel or filter it and cook the syrup further till it reaches a sticky consistency. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Keep aside.

Step 3 :Sieve together milk powder, flour and baking soda. Add butter or ghee to this mixture and mix with your finger tips till it resembles bread crumbs.

Step 4 : sprinkle water little by little and mix together into a soft dough. Do not knead it tightly. If the dough is sticky grease your hands with ghee. Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.

Step 5 : Knead it once again with your finger tips and make small balls of the dough. Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan. The oil should not be smoking hot.

Step 6 : Slip 4-5 balls into the oil at a time and cook over medium flame till they get cooked to a brown color. Remove on a kitchen paper. Once they get cooled off add these balls to the sugar syrup.

Step 7 : Let the gulab jamoons soak in the syrup for at least an hour before serving. These actually stays good for a week time. Garnish with slivered almonds and pistachios before serving.

Notes

* If the dough is kneaded tightly the jamoons will become hard.
* You can replace cardamom powder with a few tea spoon of rose water.
* The temperature of the oil is important. If the oil is too hot, the outer side will darken but the inside of the balls will not be cooked properly.
* The dough should not become dry. If it gets dry sprinkle either milk or water to make it moist.

Courtesy : http://www.ticklingpalates.com