JILEBI.[SWEET]

Ingredients

Split black gram (urad dal) 1 cup
Rice ¼ cup
Edible orange red colour as required
Sugar 5 cups
Saffron a generous pinch
Rose essence 6 drops
Green cardamom powder 1 teaspoon
Ghee to deep fry


METHOD


1. Soak dal and rice together for about forty-five minutes. Drain and grind with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture. You would need about one cup of water to grind. The batter should not become too thin.

2. Boil sugar with two and a half cups of water and prepare a syrup of single-thread consistency. Remove from heat and strain the syrup. Add saffron, rose essence and green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.

3. Heat sufficient ghee in a shallow flat kadai (jalebi kadai).

4. Take one ladle full of batter in the jilebi cloth, hold tightly and press the batter through the hole into the hot oil. For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle and over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.

5. Make small batches and deep fry on both the sides till crisp and light golden brown.

6. Drain the hot jilebi and dip into the sugar syrup. Let them remain immersed till they have absorbed enough syrup.

7. Drain and place the jilebi on a flat plate. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up.

8. Serve hot.