Jalebi

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pastries doughnuts Medium

Crisp, chewy, bright orange spirals fried in oil and dipped in warm saffron-cardamom syrup. The batter needs an overnight ferment for the characteristic tang. Makes 16 jalebi in about 24 hr 20 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 720 min

Cooling 12 hr

Total 24 hr 20 min

Yield 16 jalebi

Ingredients

Adjust yield

jalebi

1 cup (125 g)all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (15 g)chickpea flour
¼ oz (1 g)ground turmeric
¼ tsp (1 g)baking soda
⅔ cup (150 ml)water, lukewarm, for the batter
1 ½ cups (300 g)sugar
⅔ cup (150 ml)water, for the syrup
1 pinchsaffron threads
½ tsp (1 g)ground cardamom
1 tsp (5 ml)lemon juice
2 cups (500 ml)ghee or neutral oil

Fresh ingredient guides

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Whisk the flour, chickpea flour, turmeric and baking soda with the water into a smooth batter thicker than pancake batter. Cover and leave 10 to 12 hours in a warm place until slightly bubbly and tangy. Do not ferment past a sour smell.
Syrup: simmer the sugar and water 6 to 8 minutes until it forms a sticky one-string consistency between thumb and finger. Add saffron, cardamom and lemon juice and keep warm.
Stir the batter and thin with a spoonful of water if it is too stiff to flow in a thin steady stream. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a bag with a small hole.
Heat the ghee or oil in a wide shallow pan to 350 F (175 C).
Squeeze 3 inch (7.5 cm) spirals into the oil, working in batches of 3 or 4. Fry about 1 minute per side until crisp and light golden, not brown.
Lift out, drain a few seconds, then dip in the warm syrup 1 to 2 minutes, turning once. Lift out to a plate and serve warm.

Tips

Syrup must be warm, not hot, and slightly thick; too thin makes soggy jalebi.
Fry at medium heat; the center must cook through.
Serve straight away for the best crunch.
Hot oil and syrup: use a thermometer, keep oil at 350 F (175 C), never leave it unattended, and keep a lid nearby to smother any flame; do not use water on an oil fire.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make jalebi?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 12 hours of cooking, plus 12 hours to chill. The recipe makes 16 jalebi.

How should I store jalebi?

Best within 3 hours. Keep uncovered at room temperature up to 1 day; they soften as they sit.

Can I make jalebi ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

A fried sweet of fermented batter piped into spirals and soaked in saffron sugar syrup; it is made across South Asia and the Middle East. Serve it with warm milk or rabri.

Variations

Sesame & Ginger Jalebi: Add ½ tsp (1 g) ground ginger and a 2 cm slice of fresh ginger to the syrup instead of the saffron (remove the slice before dipping), and sprinkle the dipped jalebi with 1 tbsp (9 g) toasted white sesame seeds.
Chocolate & Hazelnut Jalebi: After the syrup dip, drizzle the jalebi with 40 g (¼ cup) melted dark chocolate and scatter 20 g (2½ tbsp) chopped toasted hazelnuts over them; leave out the saffron.
Saffron & Almond Jalebi: Use 2 pinches of saffron in the syrup and scatter 20 g (3 tbsp) slivered almonds over the jalebi right after the dip.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

176 Calories / serving

8.1g Fat

25.5g Carbs

0.9g Protein

18.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~2816 cal · 130g fat · 408g carbs · 14g protein · 301g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.