Jalebi
Jalebis are deep-fried coils of dough made from refined flour and added that distinctive orange color. Then they are soaked in sugar syrup and usually garnished with cardamom.
Traditionally, the Jalebi batter is fermented for 10-12 hours in warmth. But we used a quick variation making this traditional dessert by using yeast to ferment jalebis instantly.
Ingredients:
Makes 14-16
Batter:
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 tsp gram flour (besan)
- ½ tsp fresh yeast
- 1 tbsp melter batter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 drops of lemon juice
- orange food coloring (or any other color)
- ⅔ cup water
Sugar syrup:
- 1½ cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- few saffron strands
- few drops of lemon juice (optional)
- 6 green cardamoms
- vegetable oil for deep frying
- chopped nuts to decorate
- Preparation time: 15 min
- Cooking time: 20 min
How to make Jalebi:
Jalebi Batter:
- Siev the flour and gram flour and put into a large bowl.
- Disolve yeast in 1 tbsp of water and add it to the bowl with the flower.
- Next add butter, sugar, few drops of lemon juice and food coloring and ⅔ cup water. Mix it well, making sure there is no lumps left.
- Keep aside for 10 minutes till the yeast ferments.
Sugar syrup
- Add ½ cup of water into saucepan. Add sugar and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat till sugar is dissolved and the mixture of water and sugar got thick but not to thick.
- Add the saffron and lemon juice and mix.
- Keep aside.
Frying Jalebis:
- Heat the oil in a pan (about 1 inch /2.5 cm deep). The oil need to be hot otherwise jalebi will not puff.
- Fill the jalebi batter into a piping bag with a single hole nozzle.
- Press out round whirls of the batter into the hot oil workinng closely from outside to the centre of the whirl (approx. 2 inches / 5 cm)
- Deep fry the jalebies till golden brown. When jalebi is done it turn crispy.
- Transfer into the warm sugar syrup for few seconds and then drain immedetely and serve hot.
Tip:
- It is important to have the right consistency of your Jalebi batter. It should not be too thin or thick.
- Jalebi batter should not overferment. You should fry them immediately one the batter has rested for 10 minutes.
