Jalebi

Jalebi

Jalebi is the traditional Indian sweet dish. It is most popularly found in all general mithai or sweet shops and is generally prepared on the festivals like Diwali, holi etc.

You can prepare it in two ways – Traditional method and Instant method.

Traditionally it is made with all-purpose flour, gram flour (besan), baking soda and water is fermented for few hours whereas in instant method, the batter is prepared with instant yeast and does not require fermentation. You can make jalebis at home by following any method you desire but Jalebi prepared by traditional method tastes better.

This fermented batter is then poured in circular direction to form whirls or rings, deep fried in hot oil, and then these fried rings are soaked in sugar syrup for a few minutes and later served. So the end result is a crispy, syrupy, juicy and crunchy jalebi.

When you do not have enough time to make then instant method is helpful, but for sour tinge and authentic taste always better to ferment the jalebi batter.Jalebi is often taken alone or in combination with some food items. E.g. some people like to have jalebi with Rabri. In Gujarat it is served with fafda, whereas in Indore city, it is served with Indori poha. This homemade Jalebi recipe is actually very easy to prepare and tastes absolutely delicious.

Serve this homemade Jalebi recipe as a Indian party dessert for the festival of Holi or Diwali along with hot Rabdi.

Try this easy Jalebi recipe for your loved ones.

Jalebi

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Level: Easy
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • For Sugar Syrup - 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon saffron strands (kesar)
  • For Instant Jalebi - 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup yogurt (dahi)
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (sirka)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • For Khameer Jalebi - 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
  • ½ teaspoon yeast (khameer)
  • 2 teaspoon gram flour (besan)
  • ½ cup water
  • For deep frying - Ghee or oil

Instructions

For Sugar Syrup

  1. In a pan, heat water over medium flame.
  2. Add sugar, mix well until it fully melts or dissolves, add lemon juice and keep stirring until it reaches one string consistency.
  3. Add saffron strands and stir well. Turn off the flame and set aside.

For Instant Jalebi

  1. In a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, baking powder, vinegar and yogurt. Combined all together well.  Keep aside for 5-7 minutes.
  2. Add ½ cup water in it and make a thick lump free batter, it has to be a slightly thick but flowing consistency.
  3. Now shake the batter in round circular direction for 2 minutes, this adds volume to the batter and makes it flowing and smooth.

For Khameer Jalebi

  1. In a bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, yeast, gram flour and water.
  2. Make a thick batter and should have a flowing consistency. Cover and keep it aside to ferment in a warm place for 6-7 hours.
  3. Once the batter ferments, you will see some small bubbles on top then mix it once again. While stirring the batter is become slightly thinner than what it was before fermentation.
  4. So to thicken the batter again, add 1 to 2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour accordingly, so that you get a batter which is thick but flowing. Mix very well.

For Making Jalebis-

  1. The Jalebi batter must be flowing and thick.
  2. Fill the prepared batter in piping bag or using a ketchup bottle.
  3. Heat oil for deep frying jalebis, take a wide heavy pan or kadhai.
  4. Then form round whirls or rings in a circular motions starting from the centre moving outside.
  5. Be careful while making jalebi as the oil is hot.
  6. Fry the jalebis till golden in colour.
  7. Remove the jalebi with a tong, shake to drain the extra oil.
  8. Then immediately steep the fried jalebis in the prepared sugar syrup.
  9. The sugar syrup should be slightly hot when you add the jalebi in it.
  10. Soak the jalebis in the syrup for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and shake lightly so that the excess sugar syrup falls back in the pan. Arrange them on a plate.
  11. Make all jalebis this way till all the batter is used up.
  12. Serve jalebis hot.

Tips-

  • When frying jalebis, the oil temperature has to moderately hot.
  •  To form or shape jalebis, a squeezy tomato ketchup bottle works perfectly for this purpose or can use a piping bag or make your own with butter paper.
  • To fry jalebis, the kadai must be heavy and thick-bottomed.