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Indian

Jalebi

Vegetarian

जलेबी · jalebī

Crisp spirals of lightly fermented batter piped into hot ghee, fried until golden and plunged into saffron and cardamom syrup.

Jalebi is an Indian sweet, ready in about 10 hours 40 minutes and made with all-purpose flour, yogurt and sugar. It serves 6 and is rated advanced to cook.

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Delicious spiral jalebi displayed in a tray, showcasing its golden brown texture and inviting appearance.
Photo: Nowrin Sanjana / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
10 h
Total
10 h 40 min
Serves
6
Level
Advanced
Calories
295

The batter ferments 8–12 hours; for a same-day version add ¼ tsp baking soda and rest 15 minutes.

Ingredients

6 servings

Syrup

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk the flour, gram flour (opens in a new tab), yogurt (opens in a new tab) and enough water into a smooth, thick batter. Cover and leave in a warm place for 8–12 hours until bubbly and slightly sour.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Simmer the sugar (opens in a new tab) and water for 6–8 minutes to a one-string syrup (a drop stretched between finger and thumb forms a single thread once cooled). Add the cardamom, saffron (opens in a new tab) and lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and keep warm.

    Food safety: Sugar syrup is far hotter than boiling water and sticks to skin; handle it carefully and keep children away. Let the drop cool before you touch it.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a wide pan to about 175 °C. Beat the batter for a minute, fill a piping bag (opens in a new tab) with a 3 mm opening (or a squeeze bottle) and pipe 6–7 cm spirals directly into the fat, working from the centre outwards.

    Food safety: Use a deep, heavy pan no more than a third full of oil, keep a lid nearby and never leave hot oil unattended.

  4. Step 4

    Fry for about 1 minute per side until crisp and golden. Lift out, drain briefly and drop into the warm syrup for 30–60 seconds, then lift onto a plate. Serve warm.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
India · Origin disputedRelated to the zalabiya and zulbia of the Middle East and Iran; jalebi is the South Asian form, recorded in India for several centuries.Also popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, IranMore food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Dessert · Sweets & confectionery · Street food · Desserts
Cooking method
Deep-fried, Fermented
Taste
sweet, sour, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Yogurt · Sugar · Ground cardamom · Saffron · Lemon juice
Techniques
Deep-frying · Simmering · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, ghee
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

295 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 124 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 3%
  • Carbohydrate 78%
  • Fat 19%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy295 kcal237 kcal
Protein2.5 g2 g
Carbohydrate58.1 g46.8 g
Net carbohydrate57.6 g46.3 g
Sugars42.1 g33.9 g
Added sugars41.7 g33.5 g
Fibre0.6 g0.5 g
Fat6.3 g5.1 g
Saturated fat3.9 g3.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol16 mg13 mg
Sodium6 mg5 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
41 mg
Calcium
21 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
52 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
62 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: chickpea flour.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Serve with

  • With rabri, or with warm milk for breakfast as in North India.

Storage

  • Best within a few hours; they soften as they sit.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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