link rel = "image_src” href=”preview-image-here.jpg” / expr:content='data:blog.metaDescription' link rel = "image_src” href=”preview-image-here.jpg” / expr:content='data:blog.metaDescription' Sukanya's musings: JALEBI (SWEET PRETZELS)

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Friday, August 15, 2008

JALEBI (SWEET PRETZELS)

“HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY”. Today is 15th August, India’s Independence Day and Jalebi is the National Sweet of India, so here is Jalebi served on Independence day in my blog.
JALEBI (SWEET PRETZELS)
Jalebi is a sweet commonly sold in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Jalebi is thought to have originated in the North of India, probably in the state of Punjab. The Persian word for Jalebi is "Zoolbiah". It is made from deep-fried, syrup-soaked batter and shaped into a large, chaotic pretzel shape, rather like the American funnel cake. Jalebis are mostly bright orange in colour but are also available in white. It can be served dripping warm or cold. It has a somewhat chewy texture with a crystallised sugary crunch. The sugars get partly fermented which is thought to add flavour to the dish. Jalebi is sold at Halwai shops and at traditional sub continental sweet shops. The southern Indian look alike is jangiri. Along with Jalebi Another version of it, "Emarti" is red-orange in colour and sweeter in taste from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Jalebi is one of the most popular sweets in India and is served as the " National Sweet of India " especially during the National holidays like Independence Day and Republic Day in the government offices and defence installations. (Info: courtesy, Wikipedia)
Ingredients
Refined flour - 300 gms.
Green cardamom powder - ½ tsp.
Curd (yogurt) optional – 2 tbsps
Sugar - 500 gms.
Color (optional) a few drops
Saffron – a few strands
Soda bicarbonate - 1 tsp.
Ghee for deep frying
Pistachios for garnish (optional)
Jalebi cloth or Sauce dispenser
Method
For the Jalebi batter
To enjoy this sweet we need to make the preparations earlier on (one day before). Mix the flour, soda and Yogurt in a bowl ensuring that there are no lumps. Add some water and make a batter. Leave it overnight to ferment.
In the morning, mix the batter well, add a little water if required and make it into a pouring consistency.
For Sugar Syrup
Make the sugar syrup by boiling equal amounts of sugar and water, here I have taken 1½ cups sugar in 1½ cups of water
(The ratio of ratio of sugar and water should be1:1).
Add few strands of saffron to the syrup. (Saffron gives color to the syrup)
Once the sugar gets dissolved and the syrup starts to boil. Keep stirring and check until it comes to single thread consistency, remove from the fire.
Add yellow food color or a pinch of kesari powder to this syrup. This gives the shop like color to the jalebis (If you want to avoid food color, just saffron is enough, as saffron gives a faint yellow color to the syrup, but remember to give a stronger color the saffron must boil in the sugar syrup for a while so add the saffron in the beginning itself). Add green cardamom powder. Keep the sugar syrup aside.
For the Jalebis
Heat Ghee in a (Wok) Kadhai. When the ghee is hot, reduce the flame of the gas and pour batter into a jalebi cloth, catch the cloth in your hand in the form of a money pouch and squeeze lightly in small circles into medium hot Ghee giving jalebi shapes. The jalebis should get cooked in a slow flame only then will it be crispy. Cook both sides. Remove and keep on a kitchen cloth to absorb the excess ghee.

Make as many as you want and dip into warm sugar syrup just before serving.

Garnish with sliced and toasted pistachios for the exotic touch.

Don’t let it be in the syrup for too long like Gulab Jamun then it will be soggy. We want sweet crispy Jalebis.

One more important thing is the sugar syrup should be just warm, not steaming hot else the jalebis will be soggy.

If you want to keep for more than 2 days then dip into sugar syrup and remove and then keep in a box. Don’t keep it dipped inside the syrup and store(this is different from Gulab jamun)
Tip: For jalebi cloth, take some stiff cloth and make a 3 mm hole in the center.
Serve warm and enjoy this sweet crispy delight.

5 comments:

  1. Wow.. what a colour!!! Really Amazing& Fantastic...

    Happy Independence Day

    ReplyDelete
  2. Umm Jalebi looking so yum yum and yummy....man you are tempting too much here all of us !...so in our next meet jalebi aa raha hai na? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi....
    I am very happy commenting on ur blog as my name is also Sukanya.

    loved all ur recipe. Jelabies have turned out so perfect for u. YUM!. They are my fav.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks fantastic and delicious.I completed the book tag that you gave me,so you can check it out at my blog:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jalebis wow they look really mouth watering......
    I am thinking from soo many days to try Jalebi but I am bit apprehensive and scared abt the shape...

    ReplyDelete

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