Jalebi

RecipenKitchen Recipe 3 h 55 min · Serves 6 · Pakistani

Why make it Crisp, golden spirals of fermented batter soaked in warm saffron-cardamom syrup. Plan on a few hours of batter resting, then about half an hour of frying and dipping.

You’ll need

Serves 6 200 g plain flour (maida) 2 tbsp cornflour 3 tbsp plain yogurt, whisked ½ tsp instant yeast 220 ml lukewarm water, plus a little more if needed ¼ tsp turmeric powder or a pinch of orange food colour 400 g white sugar 250 ml water, for the syrup + 6 more in the full recipe

1 Step 1 of 11 Whisk the flour, cornflour, yeast and turmeric together in a large bowl. Add the yogurt and half the water and mix to a paste.

2 Step 2 of 11 Gradually add the remaining water, whisking hard for 2–3 minutes until the batter is completely smooth and falls from the whisk in a thick, flowing ribbon, like pancake batter.

3 Step 3 of 11 Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place until the surface is bubbly and the batter smells lightly sour and has slightly increased in volume.

4 Step 4 of 11 Make the syrup near the end of resting: put the sugar, 250 ml water, lemon juice and cardamom in a wide pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

5 Step 5 of 11 Simmer for 8–10 minutes until the syrup feels slightly sticky between two spoons and forms a thin thread when pulled. Stir in the saffron and rose water, then keep the pan on the lowest heat so the syrup stays warm. The last 6 steps are in the full recipe.

Cook’s tip Keep the syrup warm, not boiling. Cold syrup makes jalebis soggy, and syrup that is too thick will not soak in.

Jalebi

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