Make jalebi

Jalebi recipe 1

 

These delicious sweet treats are a popular snack in South Asia.

You will need:

  • 500ml vegetable oil
  • 200g caster sugar
  • Pinch of saffron
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 125g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp plain yogurt
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Flaked almonds or chopped pistachios

 

Method

1. First, make a syrup by putting the sugar in a pan with 100ml water over a medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve, then add the saffron and bring to the boil.

Jalebi recipe 2

2. Boil for 5-6 minutes until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat, add the cardamom and 1 tsp lemon juice, and set aside to cool.

3. To make the batter, put both flours, ½ tsp lemon juice, the yogurt, turmeric and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large bowl.

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4. Slowly add 150ml water, whisking as you go. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter.

Jalebi recipe 4

5. Add the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well. Spoon the batter into a piping bag or squeezy bottle.

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6. Put the rest of the vegetable oil into a large saucepan and carefully heat to 170C.

7. Squeeze swirls of batter into the hot oil – it’s best to do this in batches of 3 or 4 at a time.

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8. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Use a slotted spoon carefully to remove the jalebi and place on kitchen paper to drain.

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9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you have used up all your batter.

10. While the jalebi are still warm, dip them in the syrup to coat. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds or chopped pistachios and serve.

Jalebi recipe 8