When Life is Like a Jalebi, Eat it!

Caught amongst a busy schedule with too many things going around, Sarika, a teacher-mother-wife found that her life was more like a Jalebi, a yummy, crispy sweet. She decided to make and eat it. She shares the recipe of the round-round-round-stop sweet, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.

It’s been some time that I have not cooked properly. Other than personal and social commitments, which are piled up, am also busy with professional commitments. I love being busy.

It is a new academic year in school, not just parents and students, but even teachers sail through turbulent times. The schedules are hectic, to put it mildly.

Sometimes even returning from a mere two-day break (weekends) cause Sunday night blues – we teachers worry on Sunday about the stress awaiting on Monday morning. Even after a month, things are not easy. It is the same story of every year. No matter how long you have been teaching, every year it is ‘new’. New students, new challenges, new plans and lots of new leanings. These days, kids are way smarter than what we used to be – at least I can vouch for myself.

We just need to facilitate or channelise them, rest they do by themselves. So I, like many other teachers, prepare myself well before facing them. It is also fun to start discovering every child’s personality and figuring out to help them learn and grow.

Meanwhile, my tween son injured his ligament, which needs very close attention. Few rounds of hospital, pain, and stress have been in the offing. His dad said, “What is childhood without any injury and our son was over the moon. My boy loves to write but the severe pain came in the way. He rued, “This pain may be lessened with painkiller but writing!” And I, the crazy mom, have been going nuts managing these boys, at home and in school.

At times, life is like a Jalebi (the round-round-round-stop sweet). I decided to make and eat it.

Things settled a bit and last Sunday, I found some extra time to prepare this crispy sweet Jalebi – a comfort food and a dessert rolled in one. And that brought back happiness.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour aka maida

1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan)

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

A pinch of baking soda

3 tablespoons yogurt

Orange/golden yellow food colour (optional)

Water, according to the necessity.

Oil or ghee

For sugar syrup

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Few saffron strands

Method

In mixing bowl mix together flour (maida), chickpea flour (besan), baking powder and baking soda.

Add yogurt, cardamom powder, and mix

Add food colour (if you are using it) and water to form a flowing consistency batter.

The batter should not be too thick or thin. You may need up to 3/4 water depending on the quality of maida and besan.

Cover the batter and let it sit for 10-12 hours for fermentation. Mine took 24 hours because I live in a cold place. You see small bubbles on top of the batter once it has fermented.

Whisk the batter a little. You may need to add little water (around 1 tablespoon) if the batter looks too thick at this point.

Meanwhile, add sugar to a pan. Add water and mix with sugar and let it all come to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, add cardamom powder, saffron strand and lemon juice.

Let it simmer till syrup becomes sticky and form a one-string consistency. Basically, place a drop of syrup in between your thumb and index finger and then when you move fingers away from each other, it should form a single thread.

If you can’t get the required consistency, just make it sticky. Keep the syrup warm, while you make the Jalebis.

Transfer Jalebi batter into a squeeze bottle. (I used a very small tip hence the thin Jalebis).

Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in a pan or kadai. I used a combination of the two. Keep heat to medium-low.

Squeeze batter in hot oil, making a spiral motion from inside to outside. Fry till crisp on both sides. Remove from oil and immediately dip it in warm the sugar syrup, few seconds on each side is good enough.

Remove jalebis from the sugar syrup and shift to a serving plate. Enjoy homemade Jalebi with milk or garnish with some nuts.

Yummy homemade Jalebis are ready for family and friends.