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Milk balls in Sweet syrup

The term Gulab Jamun comes from Persian, gulab, “rosewater” referring to the rosewater-scented syrup, and Hindi jamun, m., “Syzygium jambolanum” (also jāmaṇ, m., from Hindi), a South Asian fruit with a similar size and shape. A similar Arabic dessert is luqmat al-qadi (Arabic for judge’s bread). Like the South Asian gulab jamun, rosewater syrup is often used; however saffron syrup and honey are also common”.

Make a syrup by boiling together until the sugar dissolves:

3 cups sugar

7 cups water

Turn off the heat and add:

2 teaspons cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon saffron

Set the syrup aside in the saucepan on the stove.

Mix by hand in a bowl:

2 cups powdered milk

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Gradually mix in to form a soft dough (only slightly sticky):

1 1/2 cups (or less) heavy cream

Make into walnut sized balls (you may use a small amount of cream on your hands while rolling) set aside and cover with a damp cloth.

Heat in a deep frying pan or wok:

4 cups vegetable oil

Add the milkballs a few at a time in a basket . Fry to an even dark brown, shaking the basket continously. (Adjust the heat so they don't get dark any sooner than 5-7 minutes.) When browned, drain the oil off the milkballs, dip them into the syrup, then transfer onto a serving dish. (Re-boil the syrup between batches to keep the thickening process happening.)

After all the balls have been prepared, boil the syrup again for about 15 minutes, until thicker, and pour over the milkballs. Let the syrup soak in for a few hours before serving.

Serve hot or cold. This may be re-heated from the refrigerator (or freezer) by pouring hot syrup over the (defrosted) milkballs. They may also be topped with whipped cream.

Wonderful Scenery

 

New Zealand Facts - Geography

• The capital of New Zealand Wellington, is the southern capital in the world.

• New Zealand is split up into 28 regions.

• Where is now New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo, was once a giant volcano which had the most violent eruption in the world in the last 5,000 years!  The ash even turned the sky red over China and Rome!

• New Zealand’s Southern Alps are bigger than the Austrian, Swiss and French Alps all put together.

• New Zealand has over 15,000 km of coastline.  Almost the same as the United States of America.

• New Zealand has 3 official languages English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language.

New Zealand Facts - Key dates

• New Zealand was first discovered by the Polynesians in the 13th century.  These Polynesians became the Maori we have today.  Oral Maori history suggests that the Maori came from Hawaiki although no one knows where it is.

• New Zealand was discovered by Europeans in 1642 by Abel Tasman.

• New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to give women the right to vote in 1983.

New Zealand Facts - Animals

• New Zealand was once home to one of the world’s largest birds, the Moa.  The Moa were flightless birds with long necks, the larger ones growing up to 3.7meters high and weighing up to 230kg!  When the Maori arrived in New Zealand they hunted them and are now extinct.

• The Kiwi is the national mascot.  It is a flightless bird and is the only bird that has its nostrils at the end of its beak.  The Kiwi lays the largest egg in comparison to the size of its body.

• New Zealand has over 55 million sheep.  That is 13 sheep to every person!  At its peak in the 1980s it used to be at 22 sheep for every person!

New Zealand Facts - Population

• Over 25 percent of the population live in New Zealand’s largest city Auckland.

• New Zealand has a population of just over 4.3 million people making it one of the least crowed countries in the world.

New Zealand Facts - Famous New Zealanders

• New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to climb Mount Everest.

• New Zealander Ernest Rutherford was the first person to split the atom.  Einstein once referred to Rutherford as "a second Newton".

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