Zulbia/Jalebi/Jilapi

Zulbia/Jalebi/Jilapi~

Jalebi, Jilapi or Jilawii (and sometimes Zulbia) is a sweet popular in countries of South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and East Africa. In a 13th-century cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan in Iran, where the sweet was traditionally distributed during Ramadan, was referenced.

In 510 B.C., Darius, the Persian Emperor, conquered the Indian Subcontinent. He was surprised to find that the locals used a substance from a plant to sweeten their food. Until then the Persians used honey to sweeten their food. They called sugarcane ‘the reed which gives honey without bees’. The culinary art of sweets were refined in the royal kitchens and when the rulers entertained guests, they were served with a plethora of sweets.

Ingredients of batter for zulbia/jalebi/jilapi:

• 250 g of corn starch,
• 35 g of all purpose flour,
• 250 g of sour yogurt,
• 2 tablespoons of rosewater,
• Oil for deep frying,
• ¼ teaspoon of grounded saffron (soak in 1 tablespoon of rosewater),
• 1 tablespoon of butter,
• ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.

Ingredients of syrup for zulbia/jalebi/jilapi:

• 400 g of sugar,
• 1½ cups of water,
• ¼ cup of rosewater,
• 1½ teaspoon of lemon juice,
• ¼ teaspoon of grounded cardamom.

Directions of batter for zulbia/jalebi/jilapi:

1. Place the yogurt and corn starch in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. 
2. Mix well, add the all purpose flour, rosewater, baking soda and dissolved saffron. 
3. Beat until the batter is smooth. 
4. Let it stand for 30 minutes :)

Directions of syrup for zulbia/ jalebi/jilapi:

1. Combine water, rosewater, lemon juice, cardamom and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Continue to simmer until the syrup thickens. 
3. Transfer the batter to a zip lock bag. 
4. Sniff of a corner to make a ¼-inch wide hole. In a skillet, heat the oil.
5. Squeeze out batter from the hole into hot oil. 
6. Swirl the batter outward in circular motion, make about 4 inches round. 
7. Fry until golden brown on both sides. 
8. Drop into the syrup and let it stand for 5 minutes.
9. Serve the hot zulbia/ jalebi/jilapi and enjoy :) :)