Jalebi Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the all-purpose flour and rice flour in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Add 3/4 cup lukewarm water and mix well until you have a smooth and thick batter. If the batter is too dry and not smooth, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Cover and let it ferment at room temperature until bubbly, 24 to 36 hours.
• Once the batter has fermented, add the food coloring gel or turmeric powder. The food coloring gives the jalebi a nice orange color and the turmeric results in a more yellow jalebi.
• The fermented batter should be the consistency of pancake batter. If it's too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency. If too thin, you can add a little flour. To make good jalebis, the consistency of the batter is very important. If it is too thin, you won't get a nice round shape and it will be more like tape. And if it is too thick, the jalebis will be fat and soft. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle or piping bag with a 4- to 5-millimeter opening.
• Combine the sugar, cardamom, saffron and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the syrup is thickened slightly and sticky, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Keep warm.
• Add about 1 inch of oil, ghee or a combination to a wide Dutch oven or deep saute pan. Attach a deep-frying thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 340 degrees F. It is important that the oil be medium hot. If it's too hot, the jalebis will brown, and if it's not hot enough, they will turn out flat.
• Squeeze out the batter into the hot oil in concentric circles or spirals from the inside out, 3 to 4 inches wide, ending with one quick stroke back toward the middle of each jalebi so it doesn't unfurl (see Cook's Note). Keep piping jalebis until the pan is about half full. Cook the jalebis, flipping them over, until crispy, about 45 seconds on each side. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove to a paper towel lined plate or tray. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Dunk the jalebis into the warm syrup. Depending how sweet you like your jalebis, you can either let them soak in the syrup for about 10 seconds or just do a quick dip. The jalebis are best eaten immediately. If not eating the jalebis right away, don't dip them in the syrup until ready to eat. Instead, heat up the syrup and dip the jalebis just before eating.

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
• Let stand until frothy.
• Meanwhile, beat pastry and rice flours with 1 1/2 cups water.
• to a smooth batter.
• Add the yeast mixture and beat again.
• Let the batter stand overnight, lightly covered.
• It will ferment slightly.
• Beat it frothy before using.
• It should be thin enough to pour in a continuous stream.
• Dissolve the 2 cups of sugar in the remaining water.
• Heat it over medium heat and add the cream of tartar and food colouring.
• Cook the syrup to the soft ball stage.
• Let it cool to lukewarm and stir in the essence.
• Using a heavy fry pan or skillet or wok and at least 1 1/2 inches of oil, heat to 375 deg.
• Have ready a large cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
• Put the batter into a pastry bag with a 1/4 inch nozzle or squeeze bottle with nozzle.
• Squeeze the batter into the oil in a concentric circle about 3 inches in diameter or larger if you wish.
• Fry until lightly golden,turning once.
• Drain the jalebi on sheets of paper towel.
• While still hot, dip each jalebi into the syrup and then move to the cooling rack where excess syrup will drip off.
• Repeat the process of frying and draining and dipping and dripping until the batter is used up.
• these can be eaten hot or cold.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Add the yogurt and ¼ teaspoon of cardamom.
• Add ½ cup (120 ml) of water and the orange food coloring. The batter should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Add more water if needed.
• Cover and let rest in a warm place for 10-12 hours to ferment, or until small bubbles develop on top of the batter.
• Once the batter has fermented, add the sugar and ½ cup (120 ml) of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cardamom, the saffron strands, and lemon juice.
• Simmer until a sticky syrup develops, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the batter and add a tablespoon of water if the batter looks too thick. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low until it reaches 350°F (180°C).
• Squeeze the batter into the hot oil, making small circular spiral shapes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high.
• Fry the dough shapes until they are crispy on both sides, about 5 minutes.
• Remove and immediately dip in the syrup mixture.
• Serve with rabri, if desired.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• First, make the syrup. Put the sugar and 100ml water in a pan set over a medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, add the saffron and bring to the boil. Continue to boil for 5-6 mins until thickened and syrupy - the consistency should be like honey. Remove from the heat and add the cardamom and lemon juice - the lemon juice prevents the sugar crystallising. Set aside.
• For the batter, put all the ingredients except the baking powder and bicarb, in a large bowl. Slowly add 150ml water and whisk for a few minutes until smooth, then add the baking powder and bicarb and stir well - it should be as thick as pancake batter. Pour into a squeeze bottle with a narrow tip, or spoon into a piping bag and snip off the tip so you have a small opening. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan until it's no more than two-thirds full and heat to 170-180C, or until a drop of the batter sizzles when added.
• Carefully squeeze or pipe swirls of the batter directly into the hot oil - do this in batches (you should be able to fry four or five at once). Fry for 1-2 mins on each side until golden. Remove the jalebi with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then, while still warm, dip in the syrup using tongs or a fork, turning to coat. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds or chopped pistachios. Serve straightaway or leave to cool.

Steps:

• To make the batter
• Dissolve the yeast in 1 tablespoon of the water and let sit for just 10 minutes, and no longer. In a large bowl, combine the maida flour and Bengal gram flour. Add the yeast, melted ghee, sugar, lemon juice, yellow food coloring, and remaining 2/3 cup water and mix until there are no more lumps.
• To fry the jalebis
• Melt enough ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot to fill it 1 inch deep. Line plates with paper towels for draining the fried cakes. Pour the lime-saffron syrup into a saucepan over low heat, to keep it warm. Fit a pastry bag with a small writing tip, and pour the batter into the bag.
• Squeeze 2-inch round whorls of batter into the hot ghee, working closely from the center out. Fry until golden brown on the bottom, then flip to fry on the other side until it's golden brown. Remove the jalebis from the oil and set on paper towels to drain. Transfer the hot cakes to the lime-saffron syrup and let soak for a minute or two.
• To serve
• Serve the jalebis warm in small bowls with syrup. Or you can remove the jalebis from the syrup and set on a rack to dry for 3 to 4 hours, until the syrup has formed a hard shell.
• Variation
• Indian Spice Jalebi Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to the batter and 3 whole cloves to the syrup.