JALEBI THE CELEBRATION SWEET

Jalebi is a melt in the mouth Indian sweet.  It is a popular in South Asian countries, Middle East, North and East Africa.  It originated in West Asia but was brought to India during the Mughal era by Iranian travelers.  Some researches claim Jalebis existed in ancient India under the name of Kundalika or Jalavallika and over the centuries, it became Jalebi.

Regardless of where it originated, Jalebi is known as celebration sweet during Diwali and Ramadan everywhere.  However Jalebis have evolved from a celebration sweet to a very popular sweet, savored across the sub continent, from street food to five star hotel menu dish.

This delectable delicacy is generally eaten by itself but can be soaked in hot milk.  I still remember in childhood when we went to any carnival, my dad will  buy jalebis before we headed home.  My mother will soak the cold jalebis in the hot milk the very next morning and we will relish it like a food from heaven.

In honor of my dad's memory on Father's Day I decided to create magic in my kitchen.   So please keep your promise of diet aside and savor this swirly, juicy, crunchy and mouth watering sweet.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white flour, 1 tsp corn starch or flour, 1/2 tsp Eno fruit salt, 1 tsp yogurt, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, 5 tbsp water, 2 drops of yellow food color or a pinch of turmeric powder.

Ingredients for syrup:

1cup water, 1 cup sugar, a few strands of saffron, 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

To begin making jalebis, mix the flour and corn starch in a medium bowl.  Combine yogurt, lemon juice, water and food color to the dry ingredients and blend them together to make a thick batter, (something like butter icing consistency).  Place the batter on a counter top for five-seven minutes.

In the meanwhile make a syrup by boiling sugar, water and a few strands of saffron. At one boil, add lemon juice so that sugar does not crystallize.  When sugar syrup reaches one string consistency, turn off the heat.

Pre heat oil for deep frying jalebis.  Now add Eno fruit salt to the batter and mix well.  Fill the piping bag or cake icing bottle with the batter and make spiral shape of at least three concentric circles.  Fry jalebis on medium heat until golden brown and crisp.  Take out on a paper towel to drain the excess oil and immediately dip in the hot sugar syrup for one minute. Take the jalebis out and serve hot.