Punjabi Cuisine

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour (maida)
• 1 teaspoon Bengal gram flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Fresh yeast
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2-3 drops Lemon yellow food colour
• 1/4 teaspoon Lemon juice
• Few Saffron
• As per requirement Ghee

Method :

For the jalebi batter:

Sieve the plain flour and gram flour together. Dissolve the yeast in 1 tablespoon of water. Mix the flour mixture, yeast solution, ghee, 1 tsp sugar and lemon yellow food colouring with 2/3 cup of water to make a thick batter, making sure that no lumps remain. Keep aside for 10 minutes till the yeast ferments.

For the sugar syrup:

Dissolve the sugar in ½ cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes till the syrup is of 2 string consistency. Add the saffron and lemon juice and mix. Remove from the fire and keep aside.

How to proceed:

Heat the ghee in a broad saucepan [the ghee should be approximately 25 mm. (1) deep]. Fill the jalebi batter into a piping bag with a single hole nozzle or a thick cloth with a small hole in the center which is finished with button-hole stitch. Press out round whirls of the batter into the hot ghee working closely from outside to the centre of the whirl [approx.50 mm (2) diameter]. Deep fry the jalebis till golden brown and transfer into the warm sugar syrup. Drain immediately and serve hot.

Tip : Do not allow the jalebi batter to overferment. Fry the jalebi's immediately once the batter has rested for 10 minutes.