Jalebi Recipe Indian Funnel Cake
This jalebi recipe recreates the popular sticky orange treat known as Indian funnel cake. Sweet, syrupy, and chewy — and so fun to make!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 18 min
- Yield
- 16 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt ((See Note 1))
- 1/2 cup water plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- 1
Add the sugar and water to a skillet over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and let sugar reach 1 string consistency (See Note 2).
- 2
Turn off the heat, stir through the lemon juice, cardamom and ground saffron. Leave pan on burner to stay warm.
- 3
In a bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, turmeric. Whisk in the yogurt and water to form a thick batter. Continue whisking several minutes until batter is smooth.
- 4
Heat the oil in a deep skillet and line a baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
- 5
When ready to fry, stir the lemon juice and baking soda into the batter, whisking to incorporate. Pour batter into a squeeze bottle leaving 1 inch from top. Secure with lid.
- 6
Test oil with a drop of the batter. It should pop to the top and start bubbling.
- 7
Carefully squeeze the bottle with batter into the hot oil in a circular motion from the center outward for a spiral, then draw a line of batter across the circles to hold them all together. Practice makes perfect, these do not have to be perfect!
- 8
Fry for a minute or two on each side until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to the warm syrup and turn to coat both sides. Move to lined baking tray and continue making jalebi. Serve warm.