Jalebis – How to make them the easy way

Summers knocking on the doors of Muscat, and I am so blessed to be able to sip my tea and type, all while I stare at the ocean.

I’m at an awesome restaurant by the beach that I love to frequent- If only I had a plate of warm jalebi next to me, that would just seal the deal! Sadly, it’s not on the menu.

Did you know the jalebi originated in Persia and was called Zalabiya? 13th-century writer Muhammad bin Hassan Bhagdadi included the recipe for zalabiya in his cookbook, ‘Kitab al-tabeek’. The book travelled far and wide and zalabiyas got renamed ‘jalebi’ once the recipe got to India.

The hardest thing when it comes to jalebi, for me at least, is knowing when to stop and walk away from them. I love when jalebi is crispy on the first bite and moist and syrupy inside, the combo makes jalebi hard to put down. I had just made a fresh batch this morning and the grand plan was to have extra for the following day. Ha! was I in for a surprise when I reached for my glass jar that was packed with freshly made jalebi only a few hours ago, it was empty and would’ve been perfectly clean with no traces of jalebi if not for the drops of syrup and saffron strands left behind by my little jalebi thieves. Luckily, making another batch takes less than 30 min.

Look at how beautiful they look? I love how they glisten and call my name. Now that I have to make a second batch in one day, a hiding place in the kitchen is next on my list. Any suggestions? Where do you hide special treats?

Jalebis

Print Recipe

Jalebis are crispy on the outside with a soft saffron-syrup filled inside. Tastes best fresh.

• Author: Vanessa
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Category: snacks
• Method: Easy

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Saffron-cardamom syrup

• 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• pinch of Saffron
• 3 cardamom pods

Make the jalebi

• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1/4 cup gram flour
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
• 1/4 tsp saffron food colour
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2–3 cups oil to fry jalebi
• pistachios to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the sugar syrup

1. In a thick bottomed pan, add the sugar, water, saffron and cardamom pods.
2. Bring mixture to a boil
3. Once bubbles cover the top of the syrup, switch the fire off and cover the syrup.

Jalebi

1. In a bowl, add the All purpose flour, gram flour, bicarb and food colour. Mix well
2. In a separate bowl, add the water, melted butter and vinegar. Stir well.
3. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk well to make a smooth batter
4. Transfer the batter to a piping bag.
5. In a thick bottomed pan, add the cooking oil. Heat the oil until it gets to the right temperature. You can test this by dipping a wooden skewer in the oil. If bubbles form around the skewer then you’re ready for the next step.
6. Reduce the flame to medium-low and pipe the jalebi batter into the hot oil in a circular motion.

Keywords: jalebi, how to make jalebi, saffron syrup, cardamom syrup,