Gulab Jamun [Indian Doughnuts]

Ingredients for spiced sugar syrup:
5 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 star anise
4 to 6 green cardamom pods
5 cloves

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Ingredients for doughnuts:
1/2 cup powdered dry milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (or little less) whipping cream

oil for frying (canola, grapeseed)

Preparing the spiced sugar syrup:
Combine water and sugar in pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until thickened slightly.

Add star anise, cardamom pods and cloves to the syrup and continue simmering.

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Preparing the doughnuts:
Mix together all the ingredients and roll the dough into golf-ball sized pieces.

Put about 1 inch of oil in the bottom of a pan or Dutch oven and put pan over medium heat. Drop dough into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Turn over and continue cooking over low heat until the other side is golden brown. Remove doughnuts to rack to drain of excess oil.

Place doughnuts into simmering syrup for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from syrup and serve immediately.