Crispy, sticky, sweet, irresistible–that is the one and only Jalebi! If you’ve always wanted to try making your own at home this is your sign to do it! My mom’s recipe for the best Jalebi needs no fermentation, is ready in under an hour, and stays perfectly crunchy for days! These Instant Jalebis have it all—light crisp dough to soak up sweet cardamom-saffron syrup and that essential lemony tang.
Homemade Jalebi is easier and more fun than you might think!
The welcoming aroma of jalebi frying is so tied to my memories of home that it can completely transport me. My mom preparing Jalebi on festival days, bustling streets lined with carts churning out fresh hot batches, and my favorite mithai shops with their mounded displays of glossy sweets–it all comes rushing back!!
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What is Jalebi
Jalebi is a wildly popular Indian dessert, sweet snack, and sometimes breakfast. It is synonymous with festivals and special occasions. The national sweet of India is Jalebi and it is cemented in pop culture anytime you hear “Jalebi Baby”!
Jalebi was brought to India by Persians, similar to their Zalabiya, and these fried, syrupy sweets quickly became part of the fabric of Indian culture. Traditionally, Jalebi batter must be fermented and is streamed through a cloth over hot oil to form the signature spirals.
Mom’s Instant Jalebi
Baking soda makes Instant Jalebi possible and they are not missing any authentic flavor or texture. Mom adds besan (gram flour) to maida (all-purpose flour) which can keep Jalebi crunchy for up to 5 days! Yogurt, ghee, and warm water are added to form the simple batter. This recipe is so quick that she would make Jalebi for last-minute guests, not just on festival days.
**The inexpensive condiment bottle allows for the perfect pouring speed and gives the most control over the liquid batter when swirling into the hot oil.
The Perfect Color
Everyone has their own opinion on the correct Jalebi color. It can range from a golden sheen to a candy orange-red that looks lit from within. Store-bought Jalebis often have food coloring added to achieve that desired color. I prefer to skip the food coloring which is not missed if you fry the Jalebis to a light golden color and add saffron to the syrup which gives these sweets a warm caramel-like sheen. Garnish with rose petals and thinly sliced pistachios–absolute perfection!!
Step by Step 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.
- Make the syrup, add sugar, water, and saffron 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 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.
- Line up the Jalebis on a plate and garnish with pistachios and rose petals.
How to Serve
Enjoy with milk or Rabri for a true taste of childhood. We also love to snack on Jalebi with hot ginger chai.
How to store Jalebi
Allow the Jalebis to completely cool down and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Jalebis can also be refrigerated for a longer time. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 10 to 30 seconds, allow them to cook down a bit before eating.
Your Questions Answered!
Flat Jalebi? Here are two reasons:
1. The batter is too thin – If the batter is too thin, add a tablespoon of besan or all-purpose flour to make it thicker.
2. 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.
Soft Jalebi? Here is why:
1. Make sure that the sugar syrup is of one-string consistency. Check out my Balushahi recipe for more tips on how to make the perfect one-string consistency syrup that is used in many Indian sweets.
2. 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.
Jalebis with Fermeneted 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.
How to make Perfect Syrup
One string consistency of the syrup is a key to this recipe that helps keep the Jalebis crunchy for a few days! The lemon juice in the syrup keeps the syrup from crystallizing as you are frying the Jalebi. If the syrup gets completely cold it gets thicker making it hard to drain out the excess making the Jalebi stickier and sweeter. Go ahead and warm up the syrup on low heat if needed.
More Indian Sweets!
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Recipe
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
Syrup (See notes)
Optional Garnish
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, 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.
Notes
- 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
