Sweets & Desserts
Lal Mohan
लालमोहन
Lal Mohan is Nepal's beloved cousin of gulab jamun: khuwa-and-flour dumplings fried to a deep mahogany brown, then left to drink up warm cardamom syrup until they are heavy and syrup-logged through to the middle. Nepali versions run darker, larger and a touch less floral than their Indian counterparts. They anchor wedding buffets, Dashain and Tihar spreads, and the glass cases of every mithai shop in Kathmandu.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Simmer the sugar and water with the crushed cardamom for about 10 minutes until slightly sticky but nowhere near thread stage. Stir in the lemon juice and rose water and keep the syrup warm.
Rub the grated khuwa, flour, semolina, baking soda and ghee together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp crumbs.
Add the warm milk a spoonful at a time, kneading lightly, until you have a soft dough that just holds together. Stop as soon as it comes together — overworking makes the dumplings dense.
Rest the dough for 10 minutes, then roll into smooth crack-free balls about the size of a walnut, greasing your palms with ghee as you go.
Heat the frying ghee to a low-medium temperature: a ball dropped in should sink, then rise slowly without browning immediately.
Fry in small batches, nudging them constantly so they colour evenly, for 8 to 10 minutes until deep reddish-brown all over.
Lift out, drain briefly, and slide the hot dumplings straight into the warm syrup.
Leave them to soak for at least 2 hours, turning once or twice, so the syrup reaches the centre. Serve warm or at room temperature, two to a plate.
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