Serves: 20
Total Calories: 1,965

4 ounces (1/2 recipe) Paneer Cheese (or store-bought), crumbled, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (1 recipe) Traditional Dark Brown Milk Rolls in Saffron Syrup, crumbled
4 cups sugar
2 to 3 cups melted vegetable shortening, for deep-frying
4 cups water
8 to 10 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1. Prepare the paneer cheese in advance. Prepare the dough for milk rolls. Then, in a food processor, process the paneer cheese and the milk roll dough until the mixture gathers into a ball that does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

2. Place about 2 tablespoons sugar in a small dish. Then, with lightly buttered clean hands, shape the dough into 15 smooth, crack-free balls. Roll each ball in the sugar.

3. Heat the shortening in a large heavy wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F on a frying thermometer or until a piece of dough dropped into the hot oil rises to the top after 30 to 40 seconds. Do not make the oil any hotter the kaala jaams need to be fried long and slow. (If you can, leave the thermometer in the wok and carefully monitor the temperature as you cook, it should remain between 275°F to 325°F. Turn off the heat if it goes any higher.) Add half the kaala jaams and fry, stirring and turning gently with a slotted spatula, until they are very dark brown, about 7 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain.

4. Place the remaining sugar, water, and cardamom pods in a large skillet or wok and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, about 5 minutes. Add the fried balls to the syrup and continue to simmer until the kaala jaams soak up the syrup, swell and become soft, and the sugar syrup becomes very thick and almost evaporates, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cardamom seeds on top and serve hot or at room temperature.

VARIATION: There are many ways to serve kaala jaams: rolled in sweetened shredded coconut cut in half and dusted on the cut or the round sides with a sprinkling of dessert masala (this gives you twice as many pieces) or cut into halves or quarters and served in a pool of rabdi (Traditional Thickened Milk Pudding, see Desserts) garnished with some dessert masala.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 20
Total Calories: 1,965
Calories from Fat: 797

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Desserts
Almond and Saffron Halva
Almond and Saffron Kheer Pudding
Authentic Curdled Milk Fudge
Banana Dumplings
Basic White Milk Fudge
Basic White Milk Fudge with Cream
Basic White Milk Fudge with Pistachio Bits
Basmati Rice Custard
Bengali Rice Pudding
Bharti's Milk Cake
Caramelized Milk Balls in Thick Syrup
Caramelized Yogurt
Cellophane Noodles in Cardamom-Saffron Syrup
Corn Custard
Creamy Milk Pudding with Almonds and Saffron
Creamy Milk Pudding with Summer Fruits
Creamy Semolina Pancakes with Thickened Milk
Decadent Carrot Halva with Evaporated Milk and Jaggery
French Roll Bread Pudding
Fresh Fruit in Rose-Flavored Cream
Himachali Nuts
Indian Ice Cream with Almonds
Indian Ice Cream with Mangoes
Indian Ice Cream with Pistachios
Indian Ice Cream with Saffron
Indian Vermicelli Pudding
Layered White and Brown Chocolate Milk Fudge
Lychee Ice Cream Dessert
Mango Ice Cream Dessert
Marzipan Delights
Microwave Milk Pudding
Miniature Multi-Hued Paneer Cheese Balls
Paneer Cheese Kheer Pudding
Paneer Cheese Patties in Creamy Thickened Milk
Parsi Pressed Rice Flakes Pudding
Parsi Semolina Pudding
Pistachio and Cardamom Ice Cream Dessert
Plantain Halva
Pressure-Cooked Caramel Custard
Punjabi Rice Pudding
Punjabi Semolina Pudding
Pure Cashew Milk Fudge
Pure Pistachio Fudge
Quick and Easy Indian Ice Cream
Ricotta Cheese Cake
Saffron Curdled Milk Patties
Saffron Milk Fudge
Saffron Milk Patties
Saffron Panner Cheese Triangles
Saffron and Almond Ice Cream Dessert
Simple Carrot Halva
South Indian Rice Pudding
Stuffed Paneer Cheese Rolls in Fragrant Syrup
Sweet Pastries with Dates and Nuts
Sweet Pretzel-Shaped Desserts
Sweet Roasted Whole-Wheat Flour
Tapioca Pudding
Traditional Bread Pudding Bites
Traditional Dark Brown Milk Rolls in Saffron Syrup
Traditional Semolina Halva
Traditional Semolina Halva with Chickpea Flour and Raisins
Traditional Thickened Milk Pudding
White Paneer Cheese Balls in Fragrant Syrup
White and Pink Coconut Milk Fudge
Whole-Wheat Flour Halva
Yellow Mung Bean Halva
Yellow Split Chickpea Pudding
Yogurt Mousse with Saffron