Jalebi - All that you need to know!!

Jalebi  (                 Crispy orange coloured sweet circles usually spotted in an Indian sweet shop)

History : Contrary to popular belief, Jalebi, which is a very popular Indian sweet did not originate in India. Jalebi was introduced to India by Persian-speaking invaders in the 15^th century. In the initial days the dish was known as Kundalika or Jalavallika and was associated with the dinner of the rich!!

Also, known as Zulbia, this dish is extremely popular in South Asia, West Asia, North Africa and East Africa. The word itself originated from the Arabic zulabiya or the Persian zolbiya, names of a similar dish. In some Christian communities in West Asia, it is served on the Feast of the Theophany (Epiphany), often with dry sugar and cinnamon. In Iran, the dish is served to the poor in the month of Ramadan.

Recipe:

Ingredients and where to find in the UK:

Jalebi Mixture:

a.)    125 gm of all purpose flour ( maida )        - You can use self-raising flour from any Supermarket

b.)    2 tablespoons Gram Flour ( Besan)           - Asian store or World Food section of Supermarkets

c.)     ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)       - Asian store or World Food section of Supermarkets

d.)    ¼ Baking Powder

e.)    Water

f.)     Oil

Sugar Syrup:

a.)    150 gm Sugar

b.)    Water

c.)     Saffron - 10-12 strands                                  - Asian Store or Spice section of any Supermarket

Method:

1.       Mix the Ingredients for the Jalebi Mixture ( a – e) in a bowl.

2.       The quantity of water should be such that the Jalebi mixture is neither too thick in consistency nor very thin.

3.       Make the mixture consistent without any lumps of the flour or the gram flour.

4.       Leave the mixture for 10-12 hours ( during winters or cold climate 20-24 hours may be needed) to ferment.

5.       After the required time, the mixture would have raised and would have bubbles on the top indicating fermentation.

6.       Take oil in a pan and heat it to high temperature.

7.       Take the mixture in a squeezy bottle like a Pancake making bottle and make concentric circles in the oil.

8.       Deep fry the jalebis until crisp.

9.       Meanwhile prepare he Sugar syrup by boiling water and adding the sugar and saffron.

10.   Add the Jalebis in the sugar syrup for 2-3 minutes.

11.   Serve hot with complimentary sides as per liking.

How to Eat : Can be served warm or cold. Goes best with rabri ( condensed milk). In some parts of the world , it is also eaten with curd. In the United States, the first Jalebis were used as ice-cream cones.