Jalebi

Ingredients 

• 1½ cups + 2½ tablespoons refined flour (maida)                
• 1 teaspoon soda bi-carbonate                
• 2½ cups sugar    
• 2 tablespoons milk                    
• ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
• A large pinch of saffron
• Ghee for deep frying
• ¼ teaspoon edible yellow food colour (optional)
• Blanched, peeled, and slivered pistachios for garnish
• Rabdi to serve

    Method 

1. Take 1½ cups refined flour and soda bi-carbonate in a large mixing bowl, add 1½ cups water and mix well with your hand to make a smooth batter. Continue to mix for 10-15 minutes. Make sure that there are no lumps. Cover and leave it to ferment for 6-8 hours. 
2. To make sugar syrup, heat sugar and 2½ cups water in a kadai. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil and till sugar melts. 
3. Add milk and mix. Collect the scum that forms on the surface of the syrup and discard it.
4. Add green cardamom powder and mix. Add saffron and mix well. Cook till the syrup reaches one string consistency. Switch the heat off.
5. Once the batter is fermented, mix it again.  Add remaining refined flour and continue to mix for 3-4 minutes. Add food colour and mix till well combined.
6. Heat ghee in a jalebi tawi or a flat kadai or a frying pan on medium heat.
7. Pour batter into a jalebi cloth and then squeeze it into medium hot ghee giving it a jalebi shape. Start from outside to inside for better results. Deep fry, flipping the jalebis, till they are evenly golden and crisp on both sides.  Drain and soak in the sugar syrup for 5 minutes.
8. Drain and place them on a serving platter, garnish with slivered pistachios. Serve with rabdi. 
9. Chef's Tip: For the jalebi cloth, take a piece of thick cloth and make a 3 millimetre hole in the centre. Jalebi making takes some practice and patience. To start with, try making individual jalebis and when you have perfected that, try making them together in a row. To make crisp jalebis, add a little rice flour to refined flour.