Jelebi

When it comes to preparing Indian sweet at home I shall say I'm very skeptical. I always have the thought it's hard labour and tedious to make them at home. I always get my Indian sweets fix at a North Indian shop near my office. The restaurant serves varieties of ghee oozing colourful sweetmeat. One glance over the glass display rack is enough to make me salivating over the delicious sinful sweets. 

One of my most sought out sweets are the vibrant looking jelebi. Thin, crispy and glistened with sugar syrup the beautiful soaked jelebi are must have whenever I visit the restaurant. One bite and the sugar syrup started to ooze out in your mouth for the fulfilling taste.

Back at home, I gathered my courage to make my own homemade jelebi. After much persuasion, here you go my ghee fried scented sugar syrup soaked jelebi. I used piping bag without nozzle to pipe out the batter into the heating ghee. You may use sauce dispensing bottle as well for easy handling. Frying with ghee enhance the taste of the jelebi but, oil fried jelebi are as good too. It's easy yet,  a little tricky which can be mastered with few tips and tricks. Trust me the first swirl will always screw up eventually, you'll get handy with the second and third swirl of making the right circles of jelebis. Do have fun as much as I did by making your very own jelebis.

Ingredients 

2 cups all purpose flour 

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup chickpea flour

1 tbsp corn starch 

Pinch of yellow food coloring 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

Water as needed 

Oil or ghee for frying

For Sugar Syrup

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup water

5-6 cardamom pods, crushed

Pinch of saffron strands 

Pinch of yellow food coloring 

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp rose water

Methods 

In a large bowl add all purpose flour,corn starch, chickpea flour, yogurt and yellow food coloring. Stir to combine.

Gradually,  add water to form a not too runny or not too thick batter. The batter shall resemble idli batter. 

Cover with lid and leave it overnight to ferment. Approximately 8 hours. 

After 8 hours, add the baking powder and stir.  Check the consistency of the batter. If it's thick add little water to loosen up. Not too much as the batter shall resemble idli batter. Rest the batter for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan add water,cardamom pods and sugar. Boil for 10 minutes. Once the sugar syrup reach one string consistency, reduce heat to low and saffron strands,yellow food coloring,rose water. Simmer for 2 minutes. 

Off the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir.

Heat oil/or ghee in a flat surface frying pan over medium flame. 

Fill the batter into a sauce dispensing bottle or piping bag without nozzle. Snip the tip of the piping bag and pipe into circular motion. As for the sauce dispenser, tighten the cap and squeeze the batter in circles into the ghee/oil. 

The jelebi will start to float after awhile. Flip and cook on both sides till light golden. 

Drain the oil completely and drench into the prepared sugar syrup. 

Soak for 40-45 minutes.

Repeat the process with remaining batter by frying in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Enjoy your homemade jelebi.

Notes

• For even cooking and to retain the crispiness of the jelebi, do not overcrowd the pan while frying. Fry in batches.
• Always use flat surface frying pan to fry your jelebi.
• Adjust water accordingly to form a flowing batter. The batter shouldn't be to runny neither too thick. 
• Let the jelebi soak in sugar syrup at least 40-45 minutes. 
• Always fry on medium flame. High flame will easily burn the jelebi and low heat will result in soggy jelebi.
• The sugar syrup shall be hot or warm to soak the jelebi. Cold sugar syrup is a big no.