Jalebi is one of the most popular sweets in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. They are spiral-shaped fried dumplings, made with commonly used flour and orange in color, bathed in a very sweet syrup. It is recommended that they be eaten freshly made so that the enjoyment of their crunchy texture is much more pleasant. Lonely Planet’s The Best Street Food book offers a simple recipe, perfect for any occasion.
How to prepare the jalebi
Ingredients (they come out between 12 and 15)
- 85 g of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon dry yeast powder
- 100 ml of warm water
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- Vegetable or rapeseed oil for frying
for the syrup
- 120 grams of sugar
- ½ cup of water
- A touch of cardamom powder
- A touch of saffron
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Preparation jalebi
Put the wheat flour and the chickpea flour in a bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Make a hole in the center.
Go pouring the oil and water in the center, stir well until there are no lumps. The result should be a liquid paste. Add more water if necessary. Pour the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a pointed nozzle and set it aside.
Mix all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the sugar melts and the mixture darkens slightly. Lower the heat to a minimum while the jalebis are frying.
Heat the oil in a frying pan; It will be ready when, when adding a drop of paste, it crackles and comes to the surface without changing color. If it is toasted immediately, the oil is too hot.
Go pouring the paste into the oil forming curls or knots about 5 cm in diameter. Repeat two or three times, depending on the size of the pan, but avoid sticking together.
Fry until they acquire a honey color on both sides.
Transfer the fried jalebis to the saucepan of warm syrup and let them soak for a few minutes.
Take them out, leave them for a few seconds on absorbent paper and serve them.