Are you still deciding what dessert to make for the festive occasion? You will love this easy-to-put-together Indian fusion dessert – Gulab Jamun and Custard, layered in mini jars to make a wonderful dessert! I grew up enjoying fruit custard and always loved it. It is so easy to make with the custard mixes available in the stores. And Gulab Jamun is an absolute favorite Indian dessert for everyone. So I thought, why not combine the two? Creamy cooling custard combined with sweet gulab jamuns is such a heavenly combination, just like my Custard Trifle Cups. This innovative Indian dessert is like delectable, similar to my Gulab Jamun Shrikhand Bowls! These cute little jars will be a hit at your Diwali or Holi party or any get-together. This is a vegetarian and eggless dessert. Check out ideas for a complete Indian fusion dinner menu.
Watch How to Make Gulab Jamun Custard Jars
How to make this easy Indian fusion dessert?
Make Custard
I used the basic vanilla custard for this recipe, which is the most popular flavor. You can use other flavors of your choice. I would say pistachio flavor or even ground pistachios added to the vanilla custard would be great. I flavored the custard with cardamom and saffron to get the Indian touch.
To make the custard, in a small bowl, combine custard powder and ¼ cup milk. Give this a good mix and set it aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the rest of the milk and sugar. Bring this to a slight boil, and then pour in the custard and milk mixture into the saucepan. Keep whisking till the mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick. Add cardamom powder and saffron to the mixture. Let it cool down. You can also refrigerate it once it has cooled.
This custard can be prepared a day in advance if you are preparing for a party too.
Make or Buy Gulab Jamuns
You can make this dessert all at home by making the Gulab Jamun from scratch. Or make it easier by using some store-bought ingredients. I know that it gets busy during festivals. So make your life easier by putting together this fusion dessert by using some store-bought ingredients. You can also use a store-bought gulab jamun mix such as Gits or MTR Foods. Homemade gulab jamuns can be softer and not as firm sometimes. So drain them from the sugar syrup on a mesh strainer for some time before using. Store-bought gulab jamuns can work as is.
Make the Cookie Crumble
For this cookie or biscuit layer, you can use digestive, biscoff or graham crackers. The digestive biscuits are less sweet, so you can add additional sugar if you like.
In a food processor, blitz the biscuits till they crush down into fine crumbs. Transfer them to a bowl. Add melted unsalted butter to the crushed biscuits and combine the two, making sure all the crumbs are well coated with butter. Take your serving jars and put 2 tablespoons of the biscuit mixture in each. Pat the mixture down with a spoon or your fingers and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Assemble the Jars
This dessert can be assembled in mini jars or in mini glasses. I used glass jars, but similar mini plastic clear cups would work great if you are making them for a large crowd for a dinner party. Here is another good option for mini clear cups. You can also use shot glasses with about 4oz capacity to assemble this. Or use mini mason jars. This dessert is super easy to assemble.
Remove the refrigerated jars with the biscuit, and fill them with custard (if your jars are small, use a piping bag). Then, place 1-2 gulab jamun halves or quarters on the top. Garnish with chopped pistachios. Optionally, decorate with edible silver leaf on top and dried rose petals. Repeat with the remaining jars. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
Don’t forget to chill for 1-2 hours before serving! It is totally fine if you prefer to skip the biscuit later. Or you can layer some Gulab Jamuns at the bottom, similar to how I do in the Gulab Jamun shrikhand bowls.
Storing the dessert
You can store the custard and gulab jamuns separately in the refrigerator. Gulab Jamun stays good in the refrigerator for a week. You can also store it after assembling it for 1 day in the refrigerator. Cover each assembled bowl with a plastic cling wrap.
I hope you enjoy this delicious, creative fusion dessert for your dinner parties this festive season! If you are looking for more Diwali recipes, here are 30+ Diwali sweet and snack ideas! Wishing all my friends and readers a very Happy Diwali. I hope this Diwali brings prosperity, peace, and happiness in your life.
Atta Halwa | Kada Prasad
Badam Katli (with almond flour)
Kalakand (Easy 30-Minute Recipe)
Sooji Halwa (Indian Semolina Pudding)
