What Is Jalebi?

[JManara]

I came across an interesting picture of a dessert called Jalebi. It was orange colored like a carrot and deep fried. They say it has a sweet taste and is like a pretzel. What is it made of and is it popular in Indian restaurants?

 

[Rayne]

Jaebi is a mixture of Maida flour and yoghurt. It's category is Fried/Sugar Syrup based. To me it looks more like a donut or a funnel cake rather than a pretzel. What do you think?

 

[Seraphina]

I looked it up and it the recipe looks like a funnel cake with a syrup glaze. They say that, traditionally, the batter is fermented for up to 24 hours and that causes it to take on a bit of a sour taste, so the finished product is sweet and sour.

 

[Elizabetonth]

Jalebis are sooooo delicious! So so delicious. Honestly, I have no idea what they're made of. Sugar and orange, to my knowledge. But they're so good. The idea that they're 'like a pretzel' would make me think that they were either breadlike or crunchy, neither of which is true. You can break them, but the syrup they're covered with stops there from being too much crunch. The 'sourness' is an overstatement - it just stops it from being too sickly sweet, and if you're thinking 'there's a sourness here' when you eat it you could just about notice it, but it's not a taste that you'd identify from Western ideas of 'sourness'. You can get them easily. They're sold in most of the sweet shops that you get on the streets in India, and sometimes on specific jalebi carts. They're often displayed in big piles, which look amazing. I loved them, as you can tell - they're a brilliant thing to eat as a snack. Someone recently recommended holding a little bit in your mouth and drinking tea or savoury soup through it, as well! I asked him what kind of soup, and he replied 'any soup', meat, vegetable, whatever. I have yet to try it, but perhaps give it a go and let us know what you think!

 

[LMackey]

I love sugary treats and this sounds like one I'd enjoy eating. I wouldn't have thought a sweet treat would go well with soup but I'd be willing to try it. I will have to check out the menus when I go to try jalebi.

 

[arthnel]

@Elizabetonth You would do extremely well in advertising/marketing. You were able to get me researching and trying to find this stuff in the US. My taste buds literally felt like they were dancing as I read your description of jalebi. I have never had it but now, because of you, it is surely on my list of Must Try Foods. Thanks

 

[Angelswings]

I agree with Arthnel. This sounds like an amazing thing to try, though I may delay the experience until the end of my visit in case I develop a serious addiction.

 

[Elizabetonth]

@arthnel you made me laugh. Jalebis aren't even my favourite Indian food. Let us know if you find them in the US! I'd love to know what else is on your Must Try Foods list - I suspect I could pick up tips from you, too.

 

[JManara]

Thank you for the wonderful description Elizabetonth. Now I really do need to try them. Maybe I can find a recipe online just to try it ahead of time. It's probably not something you should eat all the time but something to try at least once.

 

[amelia88]

The first thing I thought upon seeing your picture was that it looked like a funnel cake! I haven't had a funnel cake in years but I used to love them as a child. I don't think taste wise from the sounds of things that this would be anything like funnel cake but I do think it sounds interesting, and I love sweet treats and getting to try local desserts.

Is it unique to a certain area of India, or can they be found all over?

 

[GinaMax]

I suppose this calls for a trip to Jungle Jim, our local international foods market. I thought that most maida flour was bleached to be white, but it has a naturally orange color too it. It seems like the color might come more from the yogurt, and that would mean the flour is bleached.