Jalebi
Jalebi is a popular Indian sweet made from deep-fried, coiled batter soaked in sugar syrup, giving it a crispy and sticky texture. It’s often served warm and flavored with cardamom or saffron for extra richness.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Serving
6
Difficulty
Intermediate
A sweet batter is deep-fried into spiral shapes and then soaked in sugar syrup to create the classic Indian delicacy known as jalebi. It has a juicy, sweet inside and a crunchy outside. A favorite during festivals and festivities, jalebi is frequently flavored with cardamom or saffron.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, for crispiness)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- A pinch of turmeric powder (for color)
- 1/2 cup water (adjust as needed)
- Ghee or oil for frying
- For the sugar syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- A few strands of saffron (optional)
- 1 tsp rose water or kewra water (optional)
Directions
- To make Jalebi, first prepare the sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water together, then simmer for 5-7 minutes with cardamom and saffron (if using), and set aside to keep warm.
- For the batter, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, turmeric powder, and water to form a smooth, thick batter, then let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan, and fill a piping bag or squeeze bottle with the batter.
- Once the oil is hot, squeeze the batter into spiral shapes and fry until golden and crispy.
- Immediately dip the fried jalebis into the warm sugar syrup for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove and serve hot.
