Jalebi: a Sweet Pakistani Dessert

Jalebi, or Zalabiya made its first appearance in 'Kitab al-Tabeekh', a cookbook written by renowned 13th century Persian writer, Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi.

History reveals that this beloved traditional dessert, though now associated with the subcontinent, actually originated in Persia before journeying to the Indian shores.

Jalebi is a festive dessert, made and eaten during celebratory times, especially during the Islamic month of Ramzan, when Muslims observe fasts from sunrise to sunset.

Jalebis grace the shelves of every local sweet shop in Pakistan. Crafted from a basic batter of flour and water, they may also feature saffron and cardamom essence for added flavor.

Flour and water are mixed thoroughly to make a thick batter.

The batter is hand blended into a ribbon-like consistency.

The batter is ready to be poured into a muslin cloth with a small hole.

The batter is gently squeezed through the hole in the muslin cloth.

The hole is just large enough to allow a thin stream to be squeezed out to form swirls.

Swirls of batter are deep fried.

The batter is squeezed directly into a large pan filled with hot oil.

Sheera, a thick sugar solution, is kept gently simmering on the side.

The hot jalebi is immediately dipped into the thick sugar syrup after frying, allowing the jalebi to soak up the sheera.

They are then ready to serve.

Jalebis are best enjoyed fresh out of the karhai (wok), piping hot and oozing with syrup or soaked in warm milk. These are sometimes served as a breakfast item with thick, sweet Rabri.