What is Jalebi?
Jalebi is a spiral-shaped Indian funnel cake that is deep-fried and then drenched into the sugar syrup. Jalebi is just not an ordinary sweet, it is an emotion for Indians. Growing up, I remember eating it on all auspicious occasions like Holi, Diwali, Uttarayan, Dusherra, and many more. My dad would get a big box of Jalebi with samosas from the Halwai shop. We all used to gather and eat them without even counting. Jalebis are not very expensive, it is an affordable sweet so people enjoy it for special day breakfast as well.
Traditional recipe vs Instant Jalebi
An authentic way to make jalebi involves adding yeast or hours of fermentation of the batter. So you have to plan ahead for making it. In the Instant method, you add baking powder or Eno fruit salt to make jalebis crispy and taste just like the traditional one without any wait time.
Why do I make Jalebis at home?
After moving to the USA, I couldn’t find good sweet marts that sell the Jalebis exactly the way I gobbled up in India. Either they are not very fresh in taste or they are too sweet for my liking. So, I thought why not make it at home? These are super simple to whip up with ingredients found in my kitchen and they are ready in minutes!!! Plus I can control the amount of sweetness too.
Ingredients to make Instant Crispy Jalebis
This recipe uses a handful of ingredients found in your pantry. No cornstarch, yogurt, yeast or baking soda required. All-purpose flour ( Maida) – I use unbleached variety. You may use any. Do not use bread flour. I haven’t tried making jalebis with atta yet. Rice Flour – I have used white rice flour. You may use brown rice flour or besan instead Water – As needed to make medium consistency pourable batter.
For the sugar syrup
I use regular sugar and filtered water to make the syrup. A dash of lemon juice is added to stop any sugar crystallization. For the orange or yellow jalebis use edible food-grade colors like gels or powdered ones. I add saffron and cardamom to the syrup itself. This will add plenty of flavor to the jalebis.
My secret to making crispy Jalebi at home!!!
Rice Flour I use rice flour to make crispy onion pakoras. Rice flour yields super crunchy Jalebis. You can substitute it with besan as well. Baking Powder Baking powder will make the jalebi fluff up, turn light, and porous. Once the jalebis soak up the sugar syrup they will still hold shape and not turn soggy. You can use Eno fruit salt or a dash of baking soda instead.
Ghee vs Oil – what to use?
After making this instant version of jalebis for years I found out that frying them in ghee yields super crispy results as compared to the oil. It will stay crisp for up to 2 days.
Step by step method to make Instant Jalebi at home
Step 1 – Make the batter.
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and give it a good mix. Add in ghee and mix with your fingers until the flour is well coated. Slowly add in the water, a little at a time to form medium consistency pourable batter. Batter consistency should be like the one for dosas. Whisk until lump-free. You can use an immersion blender too. Once it is lump-free, cover the bowl with a lid. Keep the batter aside for 10-15 minutes to rest.
Step 2 – Make the sugar syrup.
Heat water and sugar in a tall pot on medium flame. Stir occasionally. Once it comes to a boil, stir in the lemon juice. This will prevent sugar from crystalizing and give a tangy taste to the jalebis later. After a boil, cook the syrup for 2 minutes. Stir the syrup often. Switch off the flame and let the syrup temperature drop to warm.
Step 3 – Make the jalebis.
Now heat ghee in a wide bottom pan on medium flame. Fill a piping bag or ketchup bottle with the jalebi batter. We prefer thin jalebis, hence I snip off the piping bag accordingly. Once the ghee feels warm enough, test by dropping a dollop of batter.If the batter fluffs up gradually then the ghee is hot enough to make jalebis. If the batter takes time to float then let the ghee heat up well. Keep your piping bag upright and quickly pipe swirls. Make 3-4 jalebis at a time and do not overcrowd the pan. Lower the flame if needed. Once you have piped the jalebis let it cook for 15-20 seconds undisturbed. Now turn the jalebis with a fork or prongs and cook on the other side until golden brown.
Step 4 – Soak the jalebis in sugar syrup. Enjoy!!!
Once done, immediately soak them in the warm sugar syrup. Make sure that the sugar syrup isn’t completely cold nor it is too hot. Keep it warm at all times. Soak the jalebis in the syrup flipping once in between for 40 seconds. Over soaking can make them soggy. Take them out on a plate.
Key points to note for making the best crispy jalebi at home
Try to keep the batter lump-free as possible. This will ensure smooth piping and shape. Fry jalebis in small batches, 3-4 at a time. Keep the sugar syrup warm at all times. Not too hot nor cold. Keep the batter medium consistency as shown in the video. If it is too thin, spirals won’t form. If it is too thick it will be difficult to push it out of the icing bag making wacky shapes. Immediately after frying put the jalebis in the sugar syrup. Do not use a very wide pan as soaking the jalebis with enough syrup will be difficult. I have used a 6” stainless steel utensil.
Storing Jalebis
Store it in an airtight container after it is completely cooled down. Will stay crisp at room temperature for a day and in the fridge for 2 days.
Frequently made mistakes and solutions
Jalebi’s shape is breaking while making a spiral.
It can be because the batter is too thin or the ghee is too hot. Remove all the batter from the bag, add a tablespoon or more flour at a time and adjust the consistency. Now try again. Keep the ghee on medium flame. If it is very smoky, switch off the gas for a few minutes until it cools a bit.
Jalebis are not forming neat spirals
You need a steady hand to make jalebis. Keep the piping bag perpendicular to the frying pan. The nozzle should be as close to the ghee as possible and make round circular movement quickly. If you work slowly the shape will be wiggly. Making spirals comes with practice. If you are a beginner, maybe after making 10 jalebis you will get a hang of it. But hey jalebi in any shape is still yummy.
The Jalebis are not crispy
Mainly because not enough baking powder, old baking powder, or the jalebis are fried on a very low flame.
Chewy Jalebis
If the ghee isn’t warm enough, the jalebis will not fluff and will have to cook for a longer time. This makes it chewy later on.
Jalebis are soggy
Soak jalebis for no more than 30 seconds flipping once in between. If you leave the jalebis in the syrup for a long time they will turn soggy.
KEEP IN TOUCH – Are we friends yet? Let’s connect on-Facebook| Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter. Never miss a recipe. Please subscribe to my blog. It is free! Pin this photo for future reference. As Diwali is just around the corner I made this quick version of Rabdi Jalebi. Grab the recipe for my creamy Easy Rabdi Recipe here. Hope you try it soon! Wishing you all a very safe and Happy Diwali.
Recipes to try on Indian Festivals –
Crispy Chakli Easy Mango Mousse without gelatin Gulab Jamun Thandai Mousse Saffron Rice Kheer Virgin Lychee Ginger Mojito Cheesecake Thandai Mocktail
Instant Crispy Jalebi Recipe
