Jalebi

Instructions

1. 1 Make the sugar syrup by dissolving sugar in water over medium heat, adding lemon juice to prevent crystallization. Boil for seven minutes until it reaches a one-string consistency. Add cardamom powder and rose water, then keep warm. The syrup must not be too thick or too thin.
2. 2 Combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda in a bowl. Add the yogurt, saffron milk, and warm water. Whisk vigorously until a smooth, flowing batter forms with no lumps. The consistency should be like heavy cream, flowing freely from a spoon in a thin stream.
3. 3 Cover the batter and let it ferment at room temperature for eight to twelve hours, or overnight. The fermentation creates tiny bubbles that give jalebi their characteristic crispy, porous texture. The batter should look slightly bubbly and smell mildly tangy.
4. 4 Pour the fermented batter into a squeeze bottle or piping bag with a small round tip. Heat oil or ghee in a wide, shallow pan to 175C. The oil should be about three centimetres deep and the pan wide enough to form the spiral shapes.
5. 5 Squeeze the batter into the hot oil in tight concentric circles, creating spiral shapes about eight centimetres in diameter. Fry for one to two minutes per side until deep golden and very crispy, turning once. The jalebis should be thoroughly crisp with no soft spots.
6. 6 Remove the crispy jalebis from the oil and immediately submerge them in the warm sugar syrup for thirty seconds, turning once so both sides absorb the syrup. The hot, porous jalebis will soak up the syrup instantly, becoming sweet and juicy while maintaining their crunch.
7. 7 Lift the jalebis from the syrup and serve immediately while still warm and crispy on the outside with syrup-soaked centres. The contrast between the shattering exterior and the sweet, syrupy interior is what makes fresh jalebi irresistible.