Jalebis are one of the most classic Indian sweets. Nothing can beat the taste of crispy jalebis. Dipped in sugar syrup but not overwhelmingly sweet, Jalebis taste slightly tangy.
Jalebi is a nostalgic food for me. In my childhood whenever I went to Mela (fair) we always bought the hot jalebis and roasted peanuts… Without the jalebis going to the fair was incomplete!
Now we have grown up and have so much work and responsibilities, we don’t have time to go to any fair… We can still buy jalebis from the sweet shop but it’s not as good as the ones we used to have in the food stall after walking in the mela for hours.
This recipe is as close as we could get to that nostalgic taste of my childhood. After messing up a couple of times, finally this combination of the ingredients has made us the perfect jalebis!
Things you need:
For Sugar Syrup :
- Sugar (1.5 cups)
- Water (3/4 cup)
- Lemon Juice (1 tbsp)
- Cardamom (5/6 pieces) Optional for flavor
For Jalebi Batter :
- All purpose flour (1 cup)
- Corn Starch (4 tbsp)
- Plain Yogurt/Curd (4 tbsp)
- Baking Soda (1/4 tsp)
- Water (150 ml. or 1 cup)
Note: Yogurt should be in room temperature.
Sift the flour and corn starch to get rid lumps before making the batter,
Preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients (flour, corn starch, yogurt, baking soda and water) until well combined.
Cover the the batter and set aside for 15 minutes. - Make the sugar syrup on medium flame by boiling sugar-water for 10 mins or so.
Add the lemon juice to clear the syrup. Get rid of the dirt that forms a foam on top of the syrup after adding the lemon juice.
Once the sugar is completely dissolved bring it to boil for once and then turn off the flame. The syrup should not get cold or thick before the Jalebis are dipped into it.
Procedure:
- Heat oil on a pan on medium flame.
- Take the batter in a piping bag and make swirls with the batter in the oil in shape of Jalebis.
- Immediately transfer the hot jalebis into the syrup. This has to be done promptly, otherwise Jalebis would not absorb the syrup.
- After dipping them into syrup take out the hot jalebis and place them in a different plate.
They would get soggy if kept in syrup for more time.
We are digging for the crispy jalebis, not the soggy ones!
To be honest it takes a bit of practice to make nice swirls but the professional. Good shape or not, it will taste amazing every time!
Some people like to add Saffron in the sugar syrup, some also add 2-3 drops of orange food coloring in the batter for the color. This do not have any impact on the taste. We did not add use any colors for the jalebi (check the pic below).
If you like this recipe, do check out easy recipes by clicking here.
