Super Intant Jalebi

Everything thing that is twisted need not always be complicated.It can be sweet,too.sweet?yes,sweet!well i was talking about the twisted and complicated but utterly sweet-the delicious jalebi.Jalebi is the most famous Indian dessert which is crispy outside and juicy inside.I have always thought that making jalebi's at home takes quite a lot of effort and a bagful of patience regarding with the overnight fermentation of the jalebi batter.Patience had never been my virtue hence never tried my hands on making these delicate beauties untill i bumped onto this super simple and super instant recipe of jalebi.Thanks to Shruti.I saw her recipe a while ago and finally tried my hands on making these gorgeous saffron colored,crispy jalebi's.And i am already on cloud 9 with the results.They are delicate,crispy,juicy and tastes heavenly.Try it to believe it!

Ingredients Serves 30 jalebi's (approx)

For the batter

• 1/2 cup of all purpose flour/maida
• 2 tbsp of chickpea flour/besan
• 1 tsp of cornflour
• 8-10 tbsp of yogurt
• 1/2-1 tbsp of water (if required)
• 1 sachet or 1 tsp of Eno fruit salt(i used lemon flavored.Though it didn't alter the taste but i would still advice to use the unflavored ones)

For the sugar syrup

• 1 and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4th cup of water
• Cardamom powder of 4 cardamom pods
• 1/4th tsp of rose water or as required
• 1 tsp of milk
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 1/4th tsp of yellow food color or as required(i used the kesar color which gives a darker shade of orange)

Method

1. For the jalebi's it is important to make the syrup first.Take a deep,heavy pan or vessel.Add water and sugar.Put the vessel on low flame and wait till it comes to a boil.
   
2. Once the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a boil.Add in the milk.Milk is only added when the sugar syrup appears a bit cloudy.Once you add the milk the impurities separates from the syrup and floats on the surface.Take a spoon or a ladle and gently remove the impurities.
   
   
3. Once that done add in the cardamom powder,rose water and food color.Mix everything well.Add in the lime juice to stop the sugar syrup from getting crystallized. Once.Once the sugar syrup reaches one thread consistency switch off the gas and keep the syrup aside.(Take little bit of the sugar syrup into a bowl.Give few seconds to cool.Once cooled take it between your forefinger finger and thumb and start pulling the fingers apart gently.If the sugar syrup forms a single thread or string then your syrup is ready for dipping the jalebi's).
   
4. Now for the jalebi batter take a mixing bowl and add the all purpose flour,chickpea flour,corn flour.Mix it well.(i have sifted all these to make sure there are no lumps)
   
5. Add in the yogurt.Don't add all of it at once.Add 3/4th of the yogurt and mix the batter to make it lump free.Still if the batter is too thick add in the rest of the yogurt.My jalebi batter was still a bit too thick hence i added a bit of water to make a pourable batter.The consistency of the better should be neither too thick not too thin.
   
6. Meanwhile,take a wide pan with least depth.Add oil for frying.
7. Add the fruit salt to the batter at the end and mix it thoroughly.The batter becomes aerated.Rest the batter for 30 seconds.
   
8. Once the resting period is over  and the oil is hot lower the flame pour the batter into a piping bag or zip lock bag or a ketchup bottle and start piping the batter onto the oil.Keep rotating the bag in circular motion to give the jalebi it's patent shape and once you are done circling bring the batter to the starting point or the center from where you started making the jalebi's.This is done just to make sure the shape of the jalebi remains intact and does not disintegrate(it was my first time in trying to make jalebi's hence few of the shapes were kind of weird as you can see).
   
9. Fry till the edges turn golden brown and flip it over.Fry the other side similarly.Fry the jalebi's using either a flat laddle having multiple pores to drain out the excess oil or use two forks to flip the jalebi's and raise them out of the oil once they are fried.
   
10. Once they turn golden brown take it out of the oil and immediately dunk them into the syrup.
    
11. Keep it submerged into the syrup for around 20-25 seconds.Remove them out of the syrup and serve them hot.Nothing can beat the taste of a pipping hot jalebi.Hence please your taste buds with these delicious jalebi's and Eat it up! :)
    

Tips:-

1. The vessel in which the sugar syrup is made should be a bit deep and shouldn't be wide.Because if the vessel is too wide the syrup has to fill more space of the container and that reduces the height of the sugar syrup into the vessel.The syrup should have atleast 1 1/2 inches of depth so that once you dunk your jalebi's in them they remain submerged and not float on top.
2. When the jalebi's are drowned into the sugar syrup the syrup should not be cold or hot it should be warm.It is very important for the syrup to be warm.In case the sugar cools down by the time you make your jalebi's add a tbsp of water and re heat the syrup.
3. One of the key ingredients for a crisp jalebi is the temperature of the oil.The oil should be neither too hot nor too cold.It should be that of a moderate temperature.
4. It is important to fry the jalebi's golden brown else it'll remain raw from inside.
5. For the jalebi's to get an uniform color it is important to dunk the jalebi's immediately once you are done frying them.If you are too conscious about removing the excess oil and then putting them into the syrup it might not get that uniform saffron color all over.
6. With everything there are both positive and negative sides.The positive thing about this jalebi is it's super instant and needs no fermentation.But the negative thing is it stays crisp for only an hour or maximum an hour and half.Hence it would be better to finish them up fast.