Indian · serves 2

Jalebis

Yeast-fermented batter piped into hot ghee. Crisp, sticky, gone in five minutes.

40 min A proper cook Vegetarian No oven needed

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp dry yeast in 1 tsp warm water
  • 500g sugar
  • 500ml water
  • 3 cardamoms, crushed
  • Ghee for frying

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, yeast mixture and water into a thin batter and leave it to ferment a few hours.
  2. Boil sugar and water into a one-string syrup with cardamom. Keep it warm, not hot.
  3. Fill a piping bag with a small plain nozzle, or a squeeze bottle.
  4. Pipe figure-eights and coils straight into hot ghee. Fry golden on both sides.
  5. Drain for a second, then straight into the syrup. Five minutes soaking, then out — longer and they go limp.

Questions people ask about Jalebis

How long does Jalebis take?

About 40 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a proper cook. Most of that is active, so read the method through before you start rather than chopping as you go.

What can I use instead of ghee in Jalebis?

Use butter, or a neutral oil if you need it dairy-free. You lose the nutty note ghee gives, so brown the butter first to get some of it back.

Can I make Jalebis ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Jalebis vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Can I make Jalebis without an oven?

That is exactly what this recipe is for. It uses a pressure cooker, a pan or the fridge instead of an oven, and the method here is written for that, not adapted from a baked version.

What do you serve with Jalebis?

Roti or plain rice, with something sharp on the side: curd, pickle or sliced onion. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

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