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Travel Essentials

Jalebi (Fried Sweet)

This centuries-old fried sweet is a roadside favorite throughout much of South Asia. Jalebi consists of wheat-flour batter that is shaped into circles, deep fried, and soaked in a sugar syrup. Lime juice or rosewater are sometimes added to the syrup. Jalebi is served either warm or cold.

Recipe Servings: 7

Prep Time
30 minutes
+ 8 hours resting
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
9 hours
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

Batter:
  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (30 g) gram flour
  • ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) baking powder
  • 2 cups (480 ml) water
Syrup:
  • 4 cups (800 g) sugar
  • 3 cups (700 ml) water
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • Red and yellow food coloring
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) rosewater
Cooking and Assembly:
  • 3 cups (700 ml) vegetable oil

Directions

    Making the Batter:
  1. Mix batter ingredients until smooth. Let batter sit uncovered overnight.
  2. Making the Syrup:
  3. Mix sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a frying pan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
  4. Increase heat to high and boil for 5 minutes.
  5. Let syrup cool. Then stir in rosewater and red and yellow food colorings to obtain a light orange hue. Set aside
  6. Cooking and Assembly:
  7. Put vegetable oil in a wok or kadai and heat to 350°F (175°C).
  8. Put batter in a pastry bag with a small opening (¼ inch/1.25 cm) and squeeze batter into hot oil in an irregular spiral or swirling pattern 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide.
  9. Fry each jalebi until crispy.
  10. Remove and drain on paper towels. Then add jalebi to the pan with the sugar syrup and allow to soak in syrup for 1 minute. Serve immediately.