Jalebi

This tedhi-medhi Indian sweet is one of my favourites. Though making it is not as easy as the song “Jalebi Bai”, but you can surely become a Jalebi Bai by this simple recipe.

The first thing required to make jalebis is “patience”, because, the batter requires overnight fermentation, ofcourse you can add yeast to the jalebi batter to quicken the fermentation process but this recipe doesn’t include this step.

The batter made of maida, curd, cornflour, ghee and baking powder should not be too watery and neither too thick. It should be of a moderate consistency to be able to make the shape of the jalebi easily, a little of water can be used to acquire the required consistency.

To make the jalebis, the batter is poured into a dispenser and with circular movements of the hand it is poured into the hot oil in a kadhai. A muslin cloth can be used if no dispenser is available and the consistency of the batter has to be adjusted for passing through the cloth.

Sugar syrup is made by dissolving sugar in water and boiling it. The jalebis will be dipped in the sugar syrup for a second or two, after being fried. Soaking in the sugar syrup for too long can make the jalebi’s soggy, as they tend to absorb more syrup.

The jalebis are best served hot with curd, milk or rabri.

Storing jalebis is not a good idea as they tend to soften, so eat them fresh and hot. 

This recipe makes 20 medium sized jalebis and serves 10 people. One serving provides approximately 163 Calories.

Ingredients:

For the Batter:

150g Maida

2 tbsp Cornflour

100ml Sour curd

½ tsp baking soda

2 tbsp Ghee

2 tbsp Oil for the batter

Oil for deep frying

Red/Yellow food colour for the colour of the jalebis.

For the Sugar Syrup:

150g Sugar

1 cup Water

Few strands of Saffron

Method:

1. Mix maida, cornflour, baking soda, ghee and food colour in a bowl.
2.  Combine all the dry ingredients well.
3. Add curd to the dry ingredients and blend them altogether to make a thick batter by adding very little water.
4. Cover the batter and place it in a warm place for 24 hours or overnight, till it is fermented.
5. Use the batter to make jalebis by pouring out from a jalebi dispenser or a muslin cloth. Fry till golden brown and transfer into the sugar syrup and remove.
6. Serve hot with curd or milk or rabri.

Recipe by Faiz Lahori