Jalebi / Jhangri

While I may not be sweet-toothed, I am surrounded by many who are and times I too feel like treating my sweet taste budz. This diwali, I chose to make Jalebis - those yellow, thin, crispy ones. And then there are those Jangris - those orange, bit thicker, softer ones. 

Jalebis are made using all purpose flour, will have a slight tangy taste, and the flour is fermented overnight before preparation. Jangris are made using uradh dhal and fried gram dhal flour, and is neither tangy nor fermented.

Wonder why I started with mentioning both that's because my dish was a hybrid of both named as "JalJangebis" ;)

I used Uradh Dhal and rice flour - ideally output should have been jangri. But given the shape, color and crispiness it was like jalebis -- end of it all, this hybrid sweet "jaljangebis" was also a roaring success :)

Ingredients:

• Uradh dal - 2 cups
• Raw Rice - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 500 gms (as per your taste you can add or reduce this)
• Oil - To Fry
• Lemon yellow - 1/2 tspn food color (this will give the light yellowish orangish shade) 
• Saffron - some use this 

Method

To make the flour:

1. Soak uradh dal and raw rice for an hour. Grind both separately to a smooth batter till they become frothy. Consistency should be that of dosa flour
2. Mix them and allow it to rest for 30 mts

To make the sugar syrup:

1. In a non stick pan, add sugar and 1-1.5 cups of water. Cook it on medium flame
2. Add 2 tspn of milk to remove any froth due to sugar (you can remove the froth as it floats up)
3. The sugar syrup starts condensing and should be One String. Switch off the flame.
4. Add a lemon wedge to retain the consistency of the sugar syrup and disable any crystalization later.
5. Sugar Syrup should be left on the gas to retain the heat 

To make the jaljangebis / jangris:

1. In a kadai, heat oil. You can test the readiness by dropping a small ball of the batter inside. It should pop up immediately.
2. Fill the jalebi maker with the batter. Alternatively, you can use a cloth or a milk cover with a small hole on one of its corner and make them.
3. Make the desired shape... jangris and jalebis differ in shape but whichever comes easier for you go for it
4. Allow it to fry to golden brown on both sides by turning them
5. Remove from fire ensuring no excess oil and dip it directly into the sugar syrup. Ensure sugar syrup is warm to hot when you dip it
6. Allow it to stay each side for 1.5 mts and remove it to a vessel (overall 3 mts).
7. As it cools down, you can pack it in air-tight container.