Just like Gulab Jamun, Jalebi finds its place in weddings and special occasions. They are one of the main items to be served in Indian sweet shops. These jalebis are one of the popular Indian sweet, and it is loved by many. I have never seen anyone who doesn’t like this sweet treat. Also, it is one of my favorites, especially when served with rabdi. As Diwali is just around the corner, so I thought of making these at home. Diwali is a great time to make all homemade snacks and sweets to entertain the guests. My mom always made her special Dahi Bhalla at home during Diwali, along with samosas and other fried snacks. Many people in North India sometimes prefer eating Jalebi with Rabdi for breakfast. Being a sweet still, it’s a popular breakfast among many. Whenever I eat Jalebi or even hear its name, I just visualize the ad we used to watch when growing up. It’s a 90s ad, watched by every age group, and it is still quite popular. A kid got angry with his parents, and he left the house. Then his grandfather finds him at the railway station and tells him that his mom is making Jalebi at home. So when he hears about Jalebi, the expression on that kid’s face is priceless. That is the emotion every Indian feels for this special spiral-shaped Indian sweet.
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
For Making the Batter
Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl, including all-purpose flour, gram flour, cardamom powder, color (natural/artificial), baking soda, and baking powder. Mix lightly and then add yogurt and mix it again. If needed, add water (½ cup-¾ cup) for a flowing consistency. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. Then cover the bowl with a lid or plate and leave it at a warm place for 12-24 hours to ferment. Time varies depending on the temperature. For me, the weather is too cold right now, so it took close to 24 hours to ferment the batter. The batter will not double in size that we usually see when fermenting. But instead, the batter will be bubbly; you will see some bubbles on the top of the batter. That means the batter is ready, and the next step is to make the sugar syrup.
For Making the Sugar Syrup
Add sugar to the pot at medium heat. Mix water and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, add cardamom powder, saffron, lemon juice, and rose water. Continue boiling/ simmering until it reaches string-like consistency. Test it by placing a drop of syrup between your index finger and thumb. So when you move your index finger and thumb away, the syrup drop will form a single thread. If that happens, that means your sugar syrup is ready. Make sure that sugar syrup is warm when you add the jalebis later.
Frying
Once the batter is fermented and ready, pour the batter in the squeeze bottle or Ziploc bags. Add oil to the frying pan at low heat. Make sure that the tip of the squeeze bottle or Ziploc bag is not too big. Because otherwise, you’ll end up with thick jalebis. Thick jalebis sometimes don’t turn to crispy. You can use a combination of oil and ghee for frying the Jalebi. When the oil is hot, using a squeeze bottle or Ziploc bags, shape the batter into spiral-shaped by moving it in circles. Once you shape it into spiral-shaped, let the jalebis fry at medium-low until both sides are crispy. Remove the jalebis from the frying pan and place them in the warm sugar syrup. Dip the Jalebi for a few seconds on both sides, and then place the Jalebi on the serving plate. Garnish with some chopped pistachios, saffron strands, and dried rose leaves, and enjoy!
TIPS TO REMEMBER
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How to store Jalebi?
Store jalebi in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. For an extended time, you can also store it in the freezer. Freeze jalebi in the freezer for 1-2 months. When reusing either microwave or heat at low temperature.
What to serve Jalebi with?
Jalebi pairs perfectly with rabdi, yogurt, or warm milk. Hot and crispy Jalebi when dipped in rabdi, that taste is just too delicious.
Can we make the Jalebi recipe without All Purpose flour/ Maida?
You can make these jalebis using any flour. Though tastes will also vary if you make Jalebi using any other flour. You can use wheat flour, almond flour, oats flour, cornflour, etc.
Variations
You can make Jalebi using two methods: The Instant Method & the Fermented Method. Instant Method: Make the batter by mixing all the ingredients in the bowl. Then without leaving the batter to ferment, make the jalebis. Fermented Batter: Make the batter by mixing all the ingredients in the bowl. Then ferment the batter for 12-24 hours. This will give a slight tanginess to the jalebis. Comparing both the methods, the traditionally Fermented Method is used for making the Jalebis. Though if you’re in a hurry, you can make Jalebi using Instant Method. Jalebi will turn crispy, but they will not have a tangy flavor to them.
Why is Jalebi recipe turn out soft or not crispy or soggy?
There might be a few reasons that Jalebi will not turn crispy:
Can we make Jalebi recipe without Curd & Baking Powder?
Yes, you can make Jalebi without curd or baking powder. The batter itself will be fermented after 12-24 hours. Curd and Baking Powder is added to speed up the fermented process. You can also speed up the process by using Active Yeast in the recipe. Rate it by clicking the stars below if you liked the recipe. However, if you want to check what is new in my kitchen, check out my Instagram & Facebook.
📖 RECIPE CARD
