gulab jamun

American

[goo-lob jo-moon] / guˈlɒb dʒɒˈmun /

noun

a dessert originating in South Asia, typically made from a dough of milk solids, flour, and ghee that is shaped into small balls and deep-fried, then soaked in a sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and rose water.

Etymology

Origin of gulab jamun

First recorded in 1915–20; from Hindi gulāb jāmun, jāman, literally “rose berry, rose water berry,” ultimately from Persian gol “flower” + āb “water” + Hindi jāmun “black plum”; cf. julep ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Inside, they found lavish surroundings, wedding-banquet style spreads of biryani, kebabs and gulab jamun, along with gourmet coffee blended from Brazilian and Ethiopian beans.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

There were gulab jamun, jaleebi, laddoo and barfi…just to name a few.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2024

Author Tarana Hussain Khan in her book Deg to Dastarkhwan describes it as a dish of sweet and savoury rice studded with sweet gulab jamun and meatballs.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2023

Goan orchata is usually made from freshly extracted almond milk, sugar syrup and rosewater, giving it a distinctly subcontinental flavor profile, like drinkable gulab jamun.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2022

He even made gulab jamun for dessert, as if it were a party.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023