For all the jalebi fans :)

I love food and that is why I think I like cooking. I usually chill out in my kitchen with my favourite music; without it I can't cook. My hubby and I are very fond of jalebis. In India you will find jalebis in every sweet shop. It is very popular there but not as much in the States. As we are in U.S I thought to give it a try and finally I made it. :) It is made by deep frying maida flour batter in a spiral shape which are then soaked in sugar syrup.

Here I am going to share with you a jalebi recipe that can be made quickly without spending long hours on fermenting the maida batter.

Piping hot jalebis

Ingredients
For the batter:

• 1 cup maida/all-purpose flour 
• 2tbsp corn starch (for extra crunch) 
• A pinch of turmeric (haldi) powder or saffron (kesar) for colour. I did not have kesar so I used haldi. 
• 2tbsp curd 
• 1tbsp hot oil 
• 1tsp rapid rise yeast

For the sugar syrup:

• 2 cup sugar 
• 2 cup water
• 1tsp lemon juice (to prevent crystallization) 
• 1tsp saffron or saffron colour. 
• Rose water

     I did not have saffron and rose water so I used cardamom (ilaichi) powder.

Other ingredients 

• I used oil instead of ghee for deep-frying.

Preparation

Batter:

1. Combine 1tsp yeast with 1tsp sugar and 4tbsp of lukewarm water in a bowl. Ensure that the water is not too hot. Keep aside for 5 to 7 minutes and allow the yeast to rise.
2. Combine this yeast mixture with the plain flour, 2tbsp corn starch, pinch of turmeric, 2tbsp curd, 1tbsp hot oil,water in a bowl and mix well to make a thick and lump free batter. The batter should not have a runny consistency. Keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.  

Sugar Syrup:

1. Add 1 cup sugar to 3/4 cup water, mix well and boil on a high flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the temperature and heat the syrup till it attains a one-thread consistency. Add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallization. (you can add 1/2 cup of water if needed)
2.  Add the saffron strands (or cardamom powder, if saffron is unavailable) to 2tsp of sugar syrup in a bowl and then add to this mixture to the sugar syrup. Keep aside.

Jalebi:

1. Fill the batter in a ketchup dispensing bottle.
2.  Heat the ghee/oil in a broad non-stick pan and squeeze the bottle to form a spiral shaped jalebi, starting from the inside to the outside.
3.  Deep-fry the jalebis until they turn golden brown on both the sides.
4. Place the fried jalebis into the warm sugar syrup. Leave for a minute or until they soak the sugar syrup well and then remove from the sugar syrup. 
5. Serve immediately with curd.

   

   Make this someday and enjoy with your family