jalebi recipe with step by step photos. amongst the array of indian sweets, jalebi holds a prime position. this jalebi recipe gives you one of the best homemade jalebis – crisp, crunchy, syrupy and juicy jalebi. the jalebi method shared here is the traditional method for making jalebis and is similar to the taste and texture of jalebis which we get in the mithai shops.
what is jalebi
jalebi is a popular sweet from the indian cuisine. jalebi is sold in all mithai shops or sweet shops and is also an indian street food. one can see cart vendors selling jalebi in western & north indian cities and towns.
how is jalebi made
traditionally jalebi is made with fermented batter of all purpose flour (maida), gram flour (besan), baking soda and water. this fermented batter is then poured in concentric circles in hot oil and deep fried. then these fried spirals are soaked in sugar syrup for a few minutes and later served. so the end result is a crispy, syrupy, juicy and crunchy jalebi.
variations in the method for making jalebi recipe
jalebi can be made with two methods.
1. one is an instant method of making jalebi where the batter is made instantly and then fried. the batter is not allowed to ferment. so in this method, the mellow fermented sour taste is not felt in the jalebis.
2. in the second method of making jalebi, the batter is kept for fermentation for 12 to 14 hours or for even 24 hours (depends on the temperature). fermentation makes the batter slightly sour and hence the jalebi have that typical sour tinge to it, which we get when we buy jalebis from the mithai shops.
some jalebi recipes also add curd while fermenting the batter. i felt curd is not required to make the batter as the batter gets beautifully fermented on its own and becomes sour. though you can add a few teaspoons of curd if you want.
instant vs traditional method:
instant method is helpful when you do not have enough time to make jalebis. for an authentic taste, its always better to ferment the jalebi batter. i have made jalebis with both the methods and according to me, jalebi made from fermented batter has a better taste and texture.
how to serve jalebi
jalebi is often had alone or in combination with some food items. e.g. some people like to have jalebi with milk or with rabri. in gujarat fafda and jalebi is a popular combination. whereas in indore city, jalebi is served with indori poha. jalebi with hot or warm milk is also had for breakfast.
making jalebi is not difficult. you need to keep few things in mind while making jalebi recipe.
tips for making jalebi recipe
- batter consistency: consistency of the batter should be thick and flowing. similar to dosa batter. the batter should be neither too thick nor thin. if the batter is too thick, the jalebis won’t be crisp and soak the sugar syrup. if thin, then it becomes difficult to get the concentric circles and the thin batter spreads all around in the oil and disintegrates.
- sugar syrup consistency: consistency of the sugar syrup should be one string consistency. if the sugar syrup is not one string consistency, then jalebis absorb more sugar syrup and break or disintegrate. if the sugar syrup is more than 1 string consistency, then the sugar syrup will crystallise on the jalebis. the jalebis won’t be juicy and syrupy.the sugar syrup has to warm or lightly hot when you dunk the fried jalebis in it. if its too hot, then due to the heat the crisp crust of the jalebi will soften.
- fermentation: fermenting jalebi batter may take more or less time depending on the temperature in your city. in a hot to warm temperature, the fermentation will take less time. in a cool or cold climate, fermenting jalebi batter will take more time. so keep this in mind when making jalebis with the tradtional method. when i made these, on this day, the average temperature where i live, was 26 degrees celsius. so i kept for about 15 hours.
tips for frying jalebi
1. oil temperature: the oil temperature has to moderately hot when frying jalebis. the frying temperature is 350 degrees fahrenheit (176 degrees celsius). a high temperature will brown the outer crust fast and keep the insides uncooked. a lower temperature will make the jalebis absorb more oil and they will be soggy and not crisp. so fry at a medium temperature on a medium to medium-high flame.
2. type of pan to be used: a kadai is perfect for frying jalebis. the kadai has to be heavy and thick bottomed. you can use a heavy non-stick kadai or steel kadai or iron kadai.
3. shaping jalebi : after the oil becomes hot, be quick in dropping the batter in oil in concentric circles. a squeezy tomato ketchup bottle works perfectly for this purpose. you can even use a piping bag or make your own with butter paper. a reader also shared a tip to get a quick and better shape – first make a line with the batter and then quickly turn it into a loop (like the shape of letter ‘P’) – and then make spirals around the loop that touch the line.
this jalebi recipe yields about 175 grams of jalebi. the recipe can be halved or doubled too. for this jalebi recipe, some tips were shared by my mother-in-law and i also referred to this video on youtube.
if you are looking for more popular indian sweets recipes then do check:
jalebi recipe
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
for making jalebi batter
- 1 cup all purpose flour (maida) or 125 grams maida
- 2 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
- â…› teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 pinch baking soda Or ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup water or 250 ml water
- 1 to 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida) to be added later after the batter has fermented
for sugar syrup
- 1 cup sugar or 150 grams sugar
- ½ cup water or 125 ml water
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands (kesar)
- oil for deep frying (you can also use ghee for frying)
how to make jalebi recipe
making jalebi batter
in a mixing bowl, take 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour or maida. add 2 tbsp besan or gram flour, a pinch of baking soda and â…› tsp turmeric powder.
- mix all the above dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula.
- then add water. the amount of water to be added depends on the quality of flour used. i added 1 cup water. depending on the quality of flour and besan, you can add from ¾ to 1 cup water.
- with the spatula or spoon, first mix. break the small or tiny lumps with the spatula or spoon while mixing.
- then in round circular directions stir the batter briskly for 4 minutes. this adds volume to the batter and makes it even and smooth.
- the batter should have a flowing consistency. cover and keep the batter to ferment in a warm place for 12 to 15 hours. i kept for 15 hours. if you live in a cold climate, you can keep for 20 to 24 hours.
- this is how the batter looks the next day. you will see small bubbles on the top.
- stir the batter and if you carefully see, the batter would have become thinner than what it was before fermentation.
- so to thicken the batter again, add 1 to 2 tbsp of all purpose flour.
- with a spoon mix very well.
- now pour this batter in the squeezy tomato ketchup bottles that we get in the market. you can also use coconut shell and make a small hole in it. you can also use a piping bag or make your own with butter paper. depending on the capacity of the bottle, you can pour less or more in it.
preparing sugar syrup for jalebi recipe
- take 1 cup sugar in a pan. add 1/4 tsp saffron strands to it. do add saffron as it gives a nice orange yellow color and also its aroma to the jalebis.
- add 1/2 cup water.
- keep this pan on stove top on low flame and begin to stir, so that the sugar dissolves.
- on a low to medium flame, cook the sugar syrup.
- cook till you get one string consistency in the sugar syrup.
- once you get the one string consistency, switch off the flame and add 1/4 tsp lime or lemon juice. stir well. keep the sugar syrup on the burner itself so that it remains warm when you add the jalebis in it.
frying jalebi
- heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. you can also use ghee or half-half of oil and ghee. ghee gives a better flavor.
- to check the temperature of oil, add a tiny amount of batter to the oil. if it comes up quickly and gradually the oil is hot enough for the jalebis to be fried. the frying temperature is 350 degrees fahrenheit/176 degrees celsius.
- now squeeze the bottle and make concentric rings with the batter.
- either start from the center and move outside or vice versa. be careful while making the jalebis as the oil is hot.
- you won't get perfect shapes as the jalebis keep on moving while you make the circles. this does require practice and it also depends on what equipment you are using to make the jalebis.
- when one side is partly cooked, turn over and fry the other side.
- some jalebis will be cooked faster than others.
- fry till the oil stops sizzling and the jalebis are a light golden. remove with a tongs or a bamboo skewer. while removing shake to drain the extra oil.
adding fried jalebi to sugar syrup
- then immediately put the fried jalebis in the sugar syrup. the sugar syrup should be slightly hot or warm when you add the jalebis in it.
- turn over after after a minute so that both sides are coated with the syrup.
- keep them in the syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes. if you keep for two minutes, they will be lightly colored and if you keep for 3 minutes, they will have a deep color.
- remove with a wooden skewer or tongs. shake lightly so that the excess sugar syrup falls back in the pan. place them in a plate or tray lined with a foil or butter paper.
make all jalebis this way. its better to have a help while doing so. otherwise its kind of multi tasking.
- serve jalebis hot, warm or at room temperature. the leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated.
recipe notes
- this jalebi recipe can halved or doubled.
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how to make jalebi recipe
a) making jalebi batter
1. in a mixing bowl, take 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour or maida. add 2 tablespoons besan or gram flour, a pinch of baking soda and ⅛ tsp turmeric powder. use ¼ tsp baking powder if you do not have baking soda.
2. mix all the above dry ingredients very well with a spoon or spatula.
3. then add water. the amount of water to be added depends on the quality of flour used. i added 1 cup water. depending on the quality of flour and besan, you can add from ¾ to 1 cup water. the batter has to be of medium consistency and flowing.
4. with the spatula or spoon or wired whisk, first mix. break the small or tiny lumps with the spatula or spoon while mixing. you can also use your hands for mixing.
5. then in round circular directions stir the batter briskly for 4 to 5 minutes. this adds volume to the batter and makes it even, flowing and smooth. there should be no lumps in the batter.
6. the batter should have a flowing consistency. cover and keep the batter to ferment in a warm place for 12 to 15 hours. i kept for 15 hours. if you live in a cold climate, you can keep for 20 to 24 hours.
7. this is how the batter looks the next day. you will see small bubbles on the top.
8. stir the batter and if you carefully see, the batter has become slightly thinner than what it was before fermentation.
9. so to thicken the batter again, add 1 to 2 tbsp of all purpose flour. at this step, add flour accordingly. now you need to get a batter which is thick but flowing. so you can add either 1 to 2 tbsp of flour.
10. with a spoon or wired whisk mix very well.
11. now pour this batter in the squeezy tomato ketchup bottles that we get in the market. keep aside. you can also use coconut shell and make a small hole in it. you can also use a piping bag or make your own with butter paper. depending on the capacity of the bottle, you can pour less or more.
making sugar syrup for jalebi recipe
1. take 1 cup sugar in a pan. add ¼ tsp saffron strands to it. do add saffron as it gives a nice orange yellow color and also its fragrant aroma to the jalebis. and in case, if you do not have saffron, then add ½ tsp cardamom powder for aroma and ⅛ tsp of turmeric powder or natural yellow or orange color extract for color.
2. add ½ cup water.
3. keep this pan on stove top on low flame and begin to stir, so that all the sugar dissolves.
4. on a low to medium flame, cook the sugar syrup. stir at intervals.
5. cook till you get one string consistency in the sugar syrup.
5. once you get the one string consistency, switch off the flame and add ¼ tsp lime or lemon juice. stir well. keep the sugar syrup on the burner itself so that it remains warm when you add the jalebis in it.
frying jalebi
1. heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. use a heavy kadai or pan for even and better frying. you can also use ghee or half-half of oil and ghee. ghee gives a better flavor.
2. to check the temperature of oil, add a tiny amount of batter to the oil. if it comes up quickly and gradually the oil is hot enough for the jalebis to be fried. the frying temperature is 350 degrees fahrenheit/176 degrees celsius.
3. now squeeze the bottle and make concentric rings with the batter.
4. either start from the center and move outside or vice versa. be careful while making the jalebis as the oil is hot.
5. you won’t get perfect shapes as the jalebis keep on moving while you make the circles. this does require practice and it also depends on what equipment you are using to make the jalebis.
6. when one side is partly cooked, turn over with a pair of tongs and fry the other side.
7. some jalebis will cook faster than others.
8. fry till the oil stops sizzling and the jalebis are a light golden. remove with a tong or a bamboo skewer. while removing shake to drain the extra oil.
adding fried jalebi to sugar syrup
9. then immediately put the fried jalebis in the sugar syrup. the sugar syrup should be slightly hot or warm when you add the jalebis in it.
10. with a wooden skewer or tongs or spoon, turn over after a minute so that both sides are coated with the syrup.
11. keep them in the syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes. if you keep for two minutes, they will be lightly colored and if you keep for 3 minutes, they will have a deep color.
12. remove with a wooden skewer or tongs. shake lightly so that the excess sugar syrup falls back in the pan. place them in a plate or tray lined with a foil or butter paper.
13. make all jalebis this way. its better to have a help while doing so. otherwise its kind of multi tasking.
14. serve jalebi hot, warm or at room temperature. the leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container and refrigerated.
For 4 kg readu jalibi what praportion is required
it will be difficult for me to tell.
I have been a fan of your cooking for a long time. I try and make everything you post. Ur recipes are easy and tasty. thank you!
thank a lot ishita for this lovely comment. all the best and happy cooking.
Can we make this whole wheat flour and jaggery?thanks!!
with whole wheat and jaggery, some experimentation is needed in the jalebi recipe. so i would suggest to avoid. though you can make malpuas with whole wheat flour and jaggery.
Thank u for reply
welcome allu.
I read your recipe above, though haven’t tried yet. My mother was an expert cook and would make lovely jalebis. For better fermentation she used to add little curd in the batter.
thanks nitin and nicde to know about your mom. curd can definitely be added in the batter for fermentation. thanks for this suggestion.