Jalebi is a spiral shaped traditional Indian sweet made with flour basically mixed with little chickpea flour and yogurt (even though adding yogurt is not absolutely essential). The batter is fermented and then deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup. People often get confused between two Indian sweets – jalebi and imarti. They look somewhat similar but in reality quite different. Imarti is made from lentils and is less common of the two. Jalebi is like everywhere!

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Ingredients :-

1 cup all-purpose flour (organic maida) 125 grams
2 tablespoons corn flour (or besan if fermenting batter) (16 grams)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric or use natural food color
½ cup curd (plain yogurt) (or water if fermenting batter) (120 ml)
½ cup water (more if needed) (120 ml)
½ teaspoon baking soda (or 1 large pinch for fermented batter)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
oil or ghee as needed
1 cup sugar (use organic) (200 grams)
½ to ¾ cup water (I used ½ + 2 tbsps) (120 ml to 180 ml)
1 pinch saffron or kesar optional
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder or elaichi powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation :-

1.You will need a squeezable sauce bottle or oil dispenser or zip lock bags. A dispenser with a sharp tip works better.

2.making sugar syrup for jalebi :-

Add sugar to a pot. Avoid cast iron pans like the one I used as it quickly crystallizes the syrup.
Pour water and . Boil the syrup until it reaches a 1 string consistency.

To check take a small portion of sugar syrup in between your thumb & fore finger. Gently move the fingers apart, you must see a single string. I took it off a bit early as it continues to cook in cast iron pans.
Pour 1 tsp lemon juice. Add in saffron (optional) and cardamoms. Mix & Set this aside.

3)Making batter for jalebi :-

Add maida, corn flour & turmeric. If fermenting then add besan instead of cornflour.
Mix well and add curd. You can skip the curd and ferment the batter for 12 to 24 hours until a slightly sour flavor develope.
Start by adding 1/4 cup water. Use more as needed.
Start by adding 1/4 cup water. Use more as needed.
Make a thick smooth batter by mixing. Use more water as needed.
Beat the batter well with a whisk for 4 to 5 mins in circular motion. The batter will turn smooth.
You may get a thick batter like this with a ribbon consistency. This is not the consistency we want, So sprinkle more water as needed. The batter has to be free flowing & moderately thick but not too thick.
Add lemon juice and mix. If fermenting, skip lemon juice

4) Frying jalebi :-

Heat ghee or oil for frying. If using oil, then add 1 to 2 tbsp of ghee to the oil. This enhances the flavor.
When the oil is heating up, add soda to the batter. Give a gentle mix.
adding soda to jalebi batter.give a gentle mix
Spoon few tbsps of batter to sauce bottle. The oil has to be hot enough and the flame medium high. Check if the oil is hot by dropping a small portion of batter in the oil. It has to rise immediately without browning.
Make one jalebi and check the consistency. If it turns out thick then, sprinkle some water and thin down the batter a bit. If it is thin and flat, then add 1 tbsp maida and mix

The last 1 minute I fry them on a low heat as this helps them to keep crisp for a little longer. Remove with a skewer.

Add to the slightly hot to warm sugar syrup. If the syrup has crystallized or turned cold. Then add 1 tsp water and heat up. Soak the jalebis for 2 to 3 mins.
Remove to a plate and spread them. Pour the entire batter to the sauce bottle and make more jalebi.

Remove to a plate and spread them. Pour the entire batter to the sauce bottle and make more jalebi.

5)Tips

The most important part of making Jalebi at home is to have the right consistency of your Jalebi batter. It should not be too thin or thick. Make sure your batter is of flowing co…
Traditionally, the Jalebi batter is fermented for 10-12 hours in warmth. But, if you live in a cold place, you must ferment it for 24 hours.
While frying the Jalebis, make sure the flame is on low. High heat will leave it uncooked from the inside. This will also give you ample time to give your Jalebis the best shape.
For Instant Jalebis, mix together all-purpose flour, corn flour, and a little turmeric. Then, add curd and water to it and whisk well in one direction to make a smooth batter.

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