Gulab jamun (also spelled gulaab jamun; or 'Rose berry') is a sweet confectionery or dessert, originating in the Indian subcontinent and a type of mithai popular in India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives (where it is known as gulab ki janu), and Bangladesh, as well as Myanmar. It is also common in nations with substantial populations of people with South Asian heritage, such as Mauritius, Fiji, Gulf states, the Malay Peninsula, Great Britain, South Africa, and the Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica. It is made mainly from milk solids, traditionally from khoya, which is milk reduced to the consistency of a soft dough. Modern recipes call for dried or powdered milk instead of khoya. It is often garnished with dried nuts such as almonds and cashews to enhance flavour. Preparation In the Indian subcontinent, milk and cheese solids are prepared by heating milk over a low flame for a long time until the water content has evaporated and only the milk solids remain. These milk solids, known as khoya, are kneaded into a dough, with a large amount of flour (maida). There are many gulab jamun mixtures on the market, which are blended with water/milk to make the dough. The dough is then shaped into small balls and deep-fried in oil or ghee (clarified butter) at a low temperature of about until they get their familiar golden brown color. If the balls are cooked quickly, they will be raw on the inside. The fried balls are then soaked in a light sugar syrup flavored with green cardamom and rose water, kewra or saffron. Hot gulab jamun is often served with vanilla ice-cream or Kulfi. Origins Gulab jamun was first prepared in medieval India and was derived from a fritter that Central Asian Turkic invaders brought to India. Another theory claims that it was accidentally prepared by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's personal chef. The word "gulab" is derived from the Persian words gol (flower) and āb (water), referring to the rose water-scented syrup. "Jamun" or "jaman" is the Hindi/Urdu word for Syzygium jambolanum, an Indian fruit with a similar size and shape, commonly known as black plum. Jamun is also defined as a fried delicacy in sugar syrup. The Arab dessert luqmat al-qadi is similar to gulab jamun, although it uses a different batter. According to the culinary historian Michael Krondl, both luqmat al-qadi and gulab