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Instant Jalebi
Light and crispy Instant Jalebis soaked in sweet cardamom-saffron syrup with a hint of lemony tang.
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 344kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour maida (120 grams)
- 2 tablespoons gram flour besan (sifted)
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt whisked
- 1 tablespoon ghee melted at room temperature
- ½ cup warm water plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Oil or ghee for frying
Syrup (See notes)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 pinch saffron crushed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional Garnish
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced pistachios
- rose petals
Instructions
- 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.
- Next, make the syrup, add sugar, water, cardamom and saffron to a 2-QT saucepan and cook until it comes to a boil stirring frequently. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until the syrup has a one-string consistency. Turn the heat off and stir in lemon juice.
- After 20 minutes you will see small bubbles on the batter. Pour the batter into a condiment bottle. Make sure the hole is about 2 to 3 mm wide for the dough to flow out.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. To test the oil temperature, add a drop of batter to the oil and it should float up right away. Then it should take around 2 minutes to get a light golden color. If the oil is too hot the batter will brown too quickly.
- Once you have tested the oil temperature, adjust the heat to medium and start making the Jalebis by squeezing the bottle and making spirals starting from the inside and going outside. I press out around 5 circles for each jalebi and make around 6 jalebis in my 10-inch frying pan. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on low heat, then carefully flip the jalebis. Cook for another 1 to 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 then add them to the warm (not hot) syrup. Keep the Jalebis in the syrup just for a few seconds. Turn the Jalebis over so both the sides are coated with syrup and take out using a pair of tongs leaving the excess syrup in the pot.
- Repeat the above two steps with the remaining batter.
- Line up the Jalebis on a plate and garnish with pistachios and rose petals.
Video
Notes
How to make one-string Sugar Syrup
Making perfect one-string consistency sugar syrup or "Chasni" is key in this recipe. Here are my tips for making perfect syrup:
How to make Jalebis with fermented batter If you like the Jalebis made with fermented batter, skip the baking soda while making the batter. Keep the batter covered in a warm place overnight or for 10 to 15 hours. Depending on the weather it may take up to 20 hours to ferment and you will see small air bubbles on top of the batter. When you are ready to make the Jalebi add a pinch of baking soda to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the condiment bottle and make the Jalebis.
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to make the syrup. I use a 2-quart saucepan. If your saucepan is smaller or thin, it may take you less time.
- Once the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow the syrup to simmer for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Check for one-string consistency. There are 2 ways to do this: Method 1: This is the traditional method. Add a few drops of syrup to a small plate and allow it to cool for a few seconds. Then dip your index finger in the syrup and press it on your thumb. Slowly open and close the index and thumb fingers and you should see a string being formed between the two fingers. For best results remember to allow the syrup to cool just a bit before you test it. Method 2: Use a digital thermometer and dip it in the syrup. For accuracy, make sure that the thermometer tip is not touching the bottom of the pan. Once the thermometer reaches 220 F which should be around the 6 to 7-minute mark the syrup is ready.
- Adding lemon juice to the cooked sugar syrup prevents the syrup from crystallizing as you wait for the Jalebis to fry.
- The batter is too thin - If the batter is too thin, add a tablespoon of besan or all-purpose flour to make it thicker.
- Oil is not hot enough - add a drop of batter to the oil and it should float up right away. Then it should take 2 to 3 minutes to get that light golden color. If the oil is too hot the Jalebis will brown too quickly.
- The syrup is too thin, you may need to cook the syrup more until you get sticky one-string consistency.
- Add the fried jalebi to warm syrup and not hot or boiling syrup. If the syrup is too hot the jalebi will soak up a lot more syrup and become soft.
How to make Jalebis with fermented batter If you like the Jalebis made with fermented batter, skip the baking soda while making the batter. Keep the batter covered in a warm place overnight or for 10 to 15 hours. Depending on the weather it may take up to 20 hours to ferment and you will see small air bubbles on top of the batter. When you are ready to make the Jalebi add a pinch of baking soda to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the condiment bottle and make the Jalebis.
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
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