A detailed recipe to make lipsmacking & delicious homemade Instant Jalebi with step-wise pictures. Make crispy Jalebi at home instantly with this simple recipe!

My next recipe in the Diwali Sweets and Snacks series is special, for it is one of the few desserts I learnt to make back in those days of growing up. Instant Jalebi - a recipe that is too simple yet so complex to nail down. Having grown up in the suburbs of Chennai, we had no access to outside food. Street-food was unheard of and we would visit the only restaurant in our locality like once a year. The best part about it was getting to make everything at home and having to learn most of the recipes by following cookery shows.

Jalebi being a family-favorite, but at the same time not too easily accessible the sister and I were intrigued to know how it was made. When it came to Diwali snacks, my dad used to collect recipes from magazines and newspapers a month or two before the festival and all of us would sit together making them for Diwali. So, we had once tried Jangiri but never had tried Jalebi. In one of the cooking shows, we saw Instant Jalebi being made and we had to try it. The recipe called for instant yeast and that was unheard of, at our home.

We scoured the super markets and groceries stores in our small community, got hold of instant yeast. Followed the recipe to T, one afternoon. I have to give it to my mom for tolerating our mess, for the recipe didn't work until the last batch or so. We had no piping bags. We made make-shift piping bags with plastic bags and the kitchen was either covered in Jalebi batter or sugar syrup or oil or plastic bags. Not giving up, we tried making the Instant Jalebi again in a week - it was much better. So, for over 6 months, we made Jalebis at every chance we got. There is nothing better than a hot crisp Jalebi dipping with sticky sugar syrup. Period.

There are many versions of Instant Jalebis on the internet. I have always followed the same recipe, the one that uses yeast and there is no after-taste I promise. With this homemade Instant Jalebi, there is no waiting time. There are shortcuts yes, but it gives the best results every time I make it. The jalebis stay crisp for a day and then get soggy, so don't plan on making these ahead. Check out the recipe for more tips on making perfect homemade jalebis. Check out other special Diwali sweets like Motichoor Ladoo, Khova Gulab Jamun and Badusha.

How to make Instant Jalebi | Homemade Instant Jalebi -

📖 Recipe

Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Instant Jalebi | Homemade Instant Jalebi -

In a mixing bowl add ½ teaspoon active instant dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ cup warm water. Mix well and let it raise for about 3-5 mins.

Now add maida, corn flour, food color, lemon juice (or vinegar) and mix well.

Add water little by little to make a batter that is thick but runny. It should be without lumps and drop from the whisk easily. I had to use about ¼ cup of water. Let it rest for 10mins.

Meanwhile prepare the sugar syrup. In a wide pan, heat sugar and water together.

As the sugar dissolves, continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches one string consistency. When you touch the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger, you should see a distinct string. Another test is to drop few drops of the syrup into a bowl with water. If it doesn't immediately dissolve, it is ready.

Switch off the heat and add cardamom powder, food color and lemon wedge. You can also use lemon juice - it helps the sugar from crystallizing.

Now heat a flat pan with oil. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee as it will help mask the flavor of oil. It is important to use a flat pan (or a large plate) so that the piped Jalebis retain the shape. The wider the better as you can pipe new Jalebis at the center and push them to the edge to crisp up. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium-low. It is important to keep the oil temperature right. Too hot - Jalebis will burn. Not so hot - the jalebis will not absorb sugar syrup.

Now pour the batter onto a sauce dispenser. If you can get Jalebi maker (the nozzle is not too big) that's great. I found the Sauce dispenser's nozzle slightly big, so I used a bottle with thinner opening and cut it to desired size.

Starting at the center, swirl the dispenser in circular motion to form Jalebis. It should immediately come to the top and at that point, stop swirling it anymore as the shape will not be retained.

Here is how I made smaller Jalebis. Pipe at the center and finish each piece as the begin to float up in the oil.

You can add upto 10-12 depending on the size of the pan.

Turn them around and cook until they are crisp and the oil is not bubbling anymore. Make sure they don't turn brown. I used a thin rod to turn them around so as to not break them and it is also easier to remove them. Drain off the Jalebis.

If the sugar syrup is not warm, heat it for a couple of minutes. Drop the fried Jalebis gently into the sugar syrup that is still warm. Let them soak up for 10-15 secs on both sides. Remove them from the syrup and place them on a plate.

Repeat this with rest of the batter, ensuring that the temperature of the oil is not too hot. Assemble the Jalebis and sprinkle chopped almonds and pistachios on top.

Serve hot, warm or cold with a side of Rabdi. Store the left over Jalebis in an airtight container in fridge for upto 3 days - they might not be entirely crisp though.

Note -

Jalebis can also be fried in ghee completely, for a richer version.
If the sugar syrup crystalizes or gets to room temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water and heat it for 2-4 mins until it is warm again.
You can reduce the amount of yeast upto ¼ teaspoon and increase the waiting time for an hour.
For a not so instant but traditional version of Jalebi, use ¼ cup of curd and let the dough ferment overnight. Rest of the recipe is the same.

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