My insane love affair with Indian desserts continues with this epic recipe. If you are a gulab jamun fan and love a good cheesecake then you really will not be able to resist the temptation with this Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Recipe. Gulab jamuns are deep fried dough balls made with milk, flour and semolina soaked in a sugar syrup (my gulab jamun recipe in the book is a must-try if you’re making your own – or you can buy them ready made). It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion, but on Diwali in my home this has now become a tradition at the dinner table.
Ingredients (serves 8)
Butter for greasing
12 Gulab Jamuns (5 for the cream cheese filling and the rest for the top of the cheesecake), plus 1 tablespoon of syrup 190g digestive biscuits
B
90g unsalted butter 300ml double cream 400g cream cheese 110g icing sugar
50-60g crushed almonds and pistachios
Spices
1⁄2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
Method
1. Grease a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin with butter
2. Drain gulab jamuns (save 1 tablespoon of the syrup for the cream cheese filling), leave to one side
3. To make the cheesecake base, place biscuits into a food processor and blend to form fine crumbs (alternatively crush in a clear plastic bag using a rolling pin)
4. Melt butter in a saucepan, add biscuit crumbs and stir to combine, this only takes a minute
5. Transfer mixture into the cake tin and press over tin base, to spread evenly, this works best using the back of a tablespoon
6. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to set
7. In a bowl, whisk the double cream until you reach stiff peaks (do not over-whisk), then leave to one side
8. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sift in icing sugar, add green cardamom powder and mix well 9. Cut up 5 gulab jamuns into 1.5cm pieces and combine into filling together with 1 tablespoon of gulab jamun syrup, mix well
10. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, ensuring everything is thoroughly combined
11. Spread mixture on top of the biscuit base using a palette knife to level out. Chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours
12. Cut remaining gulab jamuns into halves and leave on a paper towel. When ready to serve, sprinkle the almonds and pistachios over the top of the cheesecake and arrange the halved gulab jamuns onto the edges of the cheesecake in a pattern moving all the way around, add one half to the centre
13. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin… and experience heaven in a slice!
