Rosh Bora(rava Gulab Jamun)

Ever wondered how to make a Bengali dessert that’s soft, juicy, and melts in your mouth? 

Meet Rosh Bora, also known as Bengali Rava Gulab Jamun. Unlike regular gulab jamun, these little sweet patties are made with semolina (sooji/rava) and milk, giving them a unique texture and a delicate flavor that makes them irresistible for any occasion.

Why You’ll Love Rosh Bora

• Quick and Easy: Uses simple pantry staples — sooji, milk, sugar.
  
• Juicy & Soft: Just the right soak in sugar syrup ensures each bite is succulent.
  
• Festive Friendly: Perfect for Bengali festivals, family celebrations, or special treats.
  
• Customizable: Garnish with saffron, pistachios, or almonds to impress guests.
  

Ingredients Breakdown

• Sooji / Rava: Provides a slightly grainy, soft base that absorbs sugar syrup beautifully.
  
• Milk & Milk Powder: Adds richness and creaminess while helping the dough bind.
  
• Ghee: Roasting the semolina in ghee enhances the aroma and nutty flavor.
  
• Cardamom Powder: Lends a warm, fragrant note that’s classic in Indian sweets.
  
• Sugar Syrup: Sweetens and hydrates the fried roshboras, making them soft and juicy.
  

How the Recipe Works

Start by preparing the sugar syrup. Heat sugar and water until fully dissolved, then let it simmer for a few minutes to slightly thicken — this is what will soak into your roshboras later.

Next, roast the semolina in ghee for a minute or two. This small step adds a lovely nutty aroma and ensures the rava cooks through. Then pour in boiled milk and cook together until it forms a soft, pliable mass.

Once cooled, mix in cardamom, milk powder, and a pinch of baking soda. Knead lightly — you want a dough that’s soft and easy to shape. Divide the mixture into small portions and form round or slightly flattened patties.

Heat oil for deep frying on medium flame. Fry the roshboras gently, turning to ensure golden brown color on all sides. Immediately transfer the fried sweets into the warm sugar syrup for 5–10 minutes so they absorb the syrup and become juicy.

Finally, garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachios for that festive, authentic Bengali touch.

Pro Tip 💡: Make sure the oil isn’t too hot; medium flame ensures the roshboras cook evenly inside without browning too fast. Don’t overcrowd the pan — each sweet needs space to expand slightly while frying

What goes along with Rosh Bora

• Warm masala chai or cardamom tea to complement the sweet, syrupy flavors.
• A scoop of vanilla ice cream or creamy rabri for an indulgent dessert experience.
• Fresh fruits like mango, berries, or papaya to balance the richness and add a refreshing touch.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Rosh Bora warm or at room temperature as a dessert after lunch or dinner. Pair with masala chai or coffee for a delightful teatime treat. They also make a perfect festive platter dessert alongside other sweets like sandesh or rasgulla.

Storing & Make-Ahead Tips

• Room Temperature: Can be kept in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
  
• Refrigeration: Lasts up to 4-5 days; warm slightly in the microwave or steam before serving.
  
• Party Preparation: Fry the roshboras ahead and soak in sugar syrup just before serving for the freshest, juiciest experience.

Other Related Recipes You Might Like :-

• Rice Kheer — classic milk-and-rice pudding scented with cardamom and nuts — a soft, milky sweet.
• Makhana Kheer — delicate milk kheer made with roasted makhana (fox nuts) — light and festive.
• Rava Kesari — semolina-based saffron-scented sweet with a soft, melt-in-mouth texture.
• Chakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal) — jaggery-and-ghee sweet rice with nuts — a traditional festival favorite.
• Mango Shrikhand (Amrakhand) — creamy, strained-yogurt dessert flavored with ripe mango — cool and luscious.
• Dry Fruit Ladoo — no-cook, energy-packed laddoos made with nuts and dates — chewy and rich.
• Besan Ladoo — fragrant roasted gram-flour laddoos made with ghee and cardamom — a buttery festive sweet.
• Mango Burfi — mango-flavored milk burfi — dense, slightly chewy sweet ideal for celebrations.

Print Recipe

Budget-Friendly

Rosh Bora(rava Gulab Jamun)

Author: Hema Subramanian Cooking Method: Sauteing, Simmering Cuisine: Italian Courses: Dessert Recipe Keys: F Festive F festive sweet S Sweet T Tasty V vegetarian

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Servings: 5 Calories: 170

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Dietary:

N Nut-Free V Vegetarian

Description

Rosh Bora, also known as Rava Gulab Jamun or Bengali Rasbora, is a soft, syrupy sweet that melts in your mouth. Made with roasted semolina and milk, these little golden patties are fried to perfection and soaked in fragrant cardamom sugar syrup. Perfect for festivals, special occasions, or simply as a cozy treat at home, Rosh Bora is a dessert that brings warmth, sweetness, and a touch of nostalgia to every bite. Simple to make yet utterly irresistible, it’s a must-try for anyone who loves classic Indian sweets.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 cup sugar (for syrup)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups water (for syrup)
• 1 tsp ghee (for roasting)
• ¹⁄₂ cup semolina / sooji (roasted)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups boiled milk (cooled)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp cardamom powder (aromatic)
• baking soda (a pinch)
• 2 tbsp milk powder (adds richness)
• oil for deep frying (as needed)

Instructions

Method

1. Make sugar syrup

   Take sugar and water in a saucepan, heat until the sugar dissolves

2. Simmer syrup

   Once sugar dissolves, let the syrup simmer for about 5 mins so it thickens a bit
   

3. Set the syrup aside

   Turn off the stove and keep the sugar syrup aside

4. Heat ghee

   Take ghee in a pan and get it warm

5. Roast sooji

   Add sooji to the ghee and roast it briefly until it changes color
   

6. Cook milk with sooji

   Add boiled and cooled milk to the roasted sooji and cook together on medium flame until a soft mass forms
   

7. Transfer to bowl

   Turn off the stove and transfer the sooji mixture into a bowl

8. Add flavorings

   Once the mixture cools fully, add cardamom powder, baking soda, and milk powder and mix well

9. Knead dough

   Knead slightly until you get a pliable dough
   

10. Shape patties

    Take small portions and shape them into patties, keep aside
    

11. Prepare serving bowl

    Pour sugar syrup into a serving bowl

12. Heat oil for frying

    Take enough oil in a kadai and heat it for deep frying

13. Fry rosh boras

    Gently drop in the roshboras and fry until golden brown on all sides

14. Soak in syrup

    Remove from oil and place in sugar syrup for 5–10 mins to let them absorb syrup
    

15. Garnish

    Remove from syrup, garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachios
    

16. Serve

    Serve juicy, yummy roshboras warm or at room temperature

Equipment

• Pan

  

  Non-Stick Omega Deluxe Granite Fry Pan 24 Centimetre Buy Now
• Wooden Bowl

  

  Wooden Bowl Buy Now
• wok

  

  Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Kadai (black) Buy Now

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, i.e., when you buy any product using the links below, we get commissions. but it doesn’t cost you anything extra. If you do purchase any product using the given links, we thank you in advance!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 5

---

Amount Per Serving

Calories 170kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 2.5g13%

Cholesterol 5mg2%

Sodium 50mg3%

Potassium 55mg2%

Total Carbohydrate 29g10%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g2%

Sugars 23g

Protein 2.6g6%

---

Calcium 60 mg

Iron 0.2 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: Rosh Bora, Rava Gulab Jamun, Bengali Rosh Bora, Rava Sweet

Rate this recipe