Kalojams
Author and Photographer: Shivam Gupta
Kalojam, also known as Kala Jamun, is an intensely sweet Bangladeshi dessert, most famous for its iconic bright red interior. Consisting of ghee and cottage cheese, the sweets are deep-fried and then soaked overnight in a rich, aromatic syrup. A variation of this recipe was passed down to me by my best friend’s mother, Shamima Aunty. Upon every religious festival, special occasion, or dinner party, Shamima Aunty would always be sure to make an extra plate just for me. It quickly became my favorite dessert, and I wanted to learn how to recreate it. Your first bite into the moist, sugary sweet will make the long cooking process worth every minute.
Recipe: Kalojam
Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 12 hrs
Serving Size: 6 (makes roughly 12 kalojams)
Ingredients:
Kalojam
1 cup fresh chhena (cottage cheese); see below
¼ cup AP flour
1 tbsp semolina flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup whole milk powder + 1 tbsp to serve
¼ cup ghee (clarified butter)
⅛ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp red/pink food color powder; more depending on brand and desired color
2-4 cups of a neutral oil for deep frying
Fresh Chhena
6 cups whole milk
2 tbsp white vinegar, diluted with 1 tbsp water
Sugar Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water, but more as needed
2 green cardamom pods
Optional: Saffron threads, crushed pistachio
Ingredients
Instructions:
Kalojam
In a large bowl, combine the chhena, AP flour, semolina flour, granulated sugar, whole milk powder, baking powder, food coloring, and ghee (microwaved for 30 seconds to become liquid).
Mix thoroughly and knead until smooth. The dough should be very malleable, but still hold its shape. Add more ghee if too firm, add more AP flour if too soft. Add more food coloring if desired.
Split the dough into 12 even portions, and mold them into log shapes (slightly wider in the middle)
Deep fry the kalojams a couple at a time on medium low. The kalojams should spend 2-3 mins in the oil, until they are dark brown. I like to bring the oil up to temperature and fry a mini ball to test if the oil is ready. Drain on a paper towel.
Deep-Fried Kalojams
5. In another wide pot, make your sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water and heating on medium-low. Stir to ensure the sugar does not burn. Add water as needed to ensure a sticky, syrupy consistency
6. Lightly crush the cardamom pods between your palms and mix into the syrup. Optional: add 2-5 threads of saffron.
7. Place the fried kalojams in the syrup, turning several times to ensure they are fully coated. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 min, then turn them over and simmer for 15 more minutes. Finally, turn them once again, turn off the heat, and allow them to cool in the syrup for 4 hrs to overnight.
Fried Kalojams in Syrup
Chhena
Bring 6 cups of whole milk to a boil in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Turn off the stove once boiling.
Mix in the vinegar solution, stirring for 1-2 mins to help milk curdle. Leave for 1 min, then stir again.
Place a cheesecloth over a large bowl and drain the contents of the pot into it. Drain the whey and rinse the chhena with cold water, squeezing to remove excess water.
Tie the cheesecloth and let it hang for 15-20 min to fully drain any liquid (note that the chhena should not be dry, but rather moist and malleable).
Finished Product
To Serve:
Take the kalojams out of the syrup and place them on a plate.
Spoon some of the syrup onto the sweets and sprinkle extra milk powder as a decoration. Optional: sprinkle crushed pistachios.
Enjoy!