Under The Tree: Gulab Kela aka Semolina Plantain on Sugar Syrup

Gulab Kela

Plantain

What is in the name, one may ask, well I just created a name for this desert....Gulab Kela. Well let me explain, the original desert is Gulab Jamun a Persian sweet meat which was brought to India in ancient times and eventually became a household desert for all occasions in India.

Gulab means rose syrup (in Persian) and Jamun means a type of berry in Hindi. So this desert is technically a fusion.

Wait a minute, what has that got to do with my desert, well Gulab part is there but Jamun part is replaced by plantain, and plantain is called "Kela" in Hindi, and so I fused it to be Gulab Kela. But I must tell you this is a typical South Indian village sweet meat.

Boiling Plantain

Take a few raw plantain and boil it in a pot. Do add a little cumin powder. Allow the plantain to boil till it is cooked well. Once cooked peel off the skin and mash the plantain till it becomes soft and fine.

Peeled Plantain

Mash the Plantain

I used a mallet to mash it first before I used my hand to knead it so that the plantain is evenly mashed. Then add semolina to the mashed plantain. Knead it again thoroughly, add a little salt, and baking powder. Sprinkle a little water if the dough is too tough.

Semolina Added

Kneaded dough

Allow the dough to settle for half an hour. Then start making small balls out of the dough. Meanwhile you can start making the sugar syrup. Today I am using "Vellam" unrefined cane sugar, which can be easily bought in any local Indian shop. This sugar is not only tastier but also healthier. Do add a few cardamom to give the syrup a punch.