Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Gulab Jamun

Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

Nothing was sponsored, we visited as regular paying customers. Photos in this post were taken between 2000 and 2023 (across 23 years!), as such, the quality of photos varies drastically due to advances in camera technology. Mobile smartphones were in their infancy and had yet to become widespread.

Also Known As:
Gulab Jamun, Gulaab Jaman, Lal Mohan, Gulab Ki Janu

Average Price Per Serving:
SGD $3 - $10

List in alphabetical order - click the links to jump to entry

1. Bar Bar Black Sheep Salaam Bombay
2. Daawat Tandoori
3. Gayatri Restaurant
4. Madura's Restaurant
5. Sakunthala's Restaurant
~~Jaggi’s Northern Indian Cuisine~~
~~The Banana Leaf Apolo~~
~~Zaffron Kitchen~~

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Description:
The Gulab Jamun is a Singaporean Indian vegetarian dessert, a type of mithai confectionery. It consists of fried dough balls made from khoa / khoya / whole milk solids, immersed in a flavoured syrup, and served garnished with various nuts or ice cream. Also known as Gulaab Jaman, Lal Mohan, or Gulab Ki Janu, the Gulab Jamun dish is usually priced around SGD $3 to $10 per serving. It's commonly eaten for dessert.

The classic traditional Gulab Jamun is made with khoa / khoya / whole milk solids, kneaded into a dough ball together with maida refined wheat flour or all-purpose flour, then deep-fried in ghee / clarified butter. This results in its signature maroon brown colour on the slightly crisp exterior, while the beige interior remains moist soft spongy in texture, with grainy milky sweet flavour. Very similar to a doughnut in feel.

The dough balls for Gulab Jamun are then immersed in a flavoured syrup, typically made with water, white sugar, cardamom seeds, and rose water. Some stalls may opt to add pandan / screwpine leaf essence, honey, or saffron, for a more luxurious touch. The thick flavoured syrup is often warm, infusing the dessert with floral earthy spice sweet flavour. The flavoured syrup is the key that makes this dessert so enticing.

To finish, the Gulab Jamun is garnished with finely chopped nuts, usually pistachio or almonds, lending a crunchy nutty note. Some stalls may also add other garnishing, including black raisins, golden raisins, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Gulab Jamun is popular during festivals, celebrations, and is among the most commonly sold mithai confectioneries.

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1. Bar Bar Black Sheep Salaam Bombay
@ 86 Robertson Quay #01-04
Opening Hours: Mon - Wed 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 9:30pm, Thu - Sun 12pm – 9:30pm

Taken in 2023

Taken in 2023

Gulab Jamun (SGD $6.50) @ Bar Bar Black Sheep Salaam Bombay.

A salutation to the spirit of the city (and also the name of a film), this resilient gastropub serves a good rendition of the beloved dessert.

With a soft spongy chew that bursts with hot flavoured syrup, this entices with lovely floral earthy sweet spice flavour.

Holds the shape well, though without the garnish of nuts.

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2. Daawat Tandoori
@ 207 Upper Thomson Road
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 3pm, 4:30pm – 11pm

Taken in 2011

Taken in 2023

Taken in 2023

Gulab Jamun (SGD $4.50) @ Daawat Tandoori.

Larger than other renditions, the doughnuts are soft, spongy, squishy, absorbing the thick flavoured syrup.

Sprinkled with crunchy pistachio shavings, this is best savoured slowly.

Carries bold floral earthy spice sweet nutty flavour, suitable for celebrations.

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3. Gayatri Restaurant
@ 122 Race Course Road #01-01
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 10:30pm

Taken in 2012

Taken in 2023

Taken in 2023

Gulab Jamun (SGD $4.50) @ Gayatri Restaurant.

The perfect spherical milk solid doughnuts hint towards machine-formed, though the soft spongy texture is spot-on.

The hot golden flavoured syrup, along with pistachio nut bits, combine for deep floral nutty sweet flavour.

I like to slowly immerse each piece so that it absorbs the lovely syrup.

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4. Madura's Restaurant
@ Paya Lebar Square, 60 Paya Lebar Road #01-08
Opening Hours: Daily 11:30am – 9:30pm

@ 115 Syed Alwi Road
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm – 1am

Taken in 2022

Taken in 2022

Gulab Jamun (SGD $5) @ Madura's Restaurant.

Generously sized, the large milk solid doughnuts can't quite fit within the serving glass, fluffy and pillowy soft in texture.

Absorbs the thick flavoured syrup, with each bite releasing perfumed aroma and bright floral spice sweet earthy flavour.

Bits of shaved pistachio complete, lending a nutty note.

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5. Sakunthala's Restaurant
@ 66 Race Course Road
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 10:30pm

@ UE BizHub East, 8 Changi Business Park Avenue 1 #01-53
Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 11am – 9pm, Closed Sun

Multiple Other Branches Across Singapore

Taken in 2023

Taken in 2023

Gulab Jamun (SGD $3.60) @ Sakunthala's Restaurant.

Their version can be served with or without ice cream.

The spongy soft milk solid doughnuts are immersed in a hot thick rose water and cardamom flavoured syrup.

Picks up the floral earthy sweet spice flavour, yum. Adding ice cream serves to highlight the contrast of tastes and temperatures.