Authentic Jalebi Recipe: How to Make and Fry Perfect Jalebis at Home

In Persia, the birth of jalebi started with the mention of the dish ‘zulbiya’, in a 10th-century cookbook named ‘Kitab al-Tabeekh’ written by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi. Zulbiya was a popular sweet dish that was mainly distributed to the general folk during the month of Ramadan for Iftar and other local celebrations.

This delicacy travelled with the Turkish and Persian traders and artisans to the Indian shores and was soon adopted by people of the subcontinent who started calling it jalebis. Starting from the 15th century, the dish assimilated into the culture by being a staple for festivals, weddings, and even as prashad (an offering) for temple rituals.

Ingredients

• 1 cup All purpose flour Maida
• 2 tablespoon Corn Flour
• ¾ cup Thick Curd approximately
• 1 pinch Cooking soda
• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• ½ pinch Yellow food colour
• Oil + ghee – for deep frying

How to Make Jalebi

• Add all-purpose flour, gram flour, baking soda to a bowl and mix well.
• Add ghee, yogurt, and water and mix well until the batter is smooth and completely lump-free. You can also use a whisk for this. The batter will have cake-like consistency and when you lift the spoon it should fall in a thick ribbon pattern.
• Keep the batter aside for 20 minutes. 

• Make the syrup, add sugar, water, cardamom powder, and saffron strands to a 4-QT saucepan and cook until it comes to a boil stirring frequently.
• Turn the heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until the syrup has a one-string consistency. Turn the heat off and stir in lemon juice.  

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 
• After 20 minutes you will see small bubbles on the batter. Pour the batter into a condiment bottle. Make sure the hole is out 2 to 3 mm wide for the dough to flow out. Once the oil is hot start making the jalebi by squeezing the bottle and making spirals starting from the inside and going outside.
• Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on low heat, then carefully flip the jalebis. Cook for another 2 minutes on low heat as they get lightly golden brown.
• Carefully lift the jalebis in a slotted spatula that will help drain out excess oil and add them to the warm sugar syrup. Keep the Jalebis in the syrup just for a few seconds.
• Turn the Jalebis over so both sides are coated with syrup and take them out using a pair of tongs leaving the excess syrup in the pot. 

• Line up the Jalebis on a plate and garnish with pistachios and rose petals.