highlights
Jalebi is mentioned to have come to India with Nadir Shah around the 12th century.
Some say that Persian traders brought it to India and it became a hit here.
Every region of the country has its own style of Jalebi, morning breakfast is not complete without it.
This is a sweet with many balls, which we call Jalebi. As soon as it is placed on the tongue, it spreads the sweet juice in a crispy manner, which makes the tongue dive into the ocean of pleasure. This is such a sweet, which we never stop eating. Imagine, this sweet came to India more than 600 years ago and till now it is being made in the same style and is a superhit in the world of taste. Its unique curved shape and crude roundness also make one wonder how it could have been made.
This is a centuries-old favorite breakfast in Indian homes. If you eat hot jalebi soaked in sugar syrup from the pan of halwai, you will definitely enjoy it, you will feel that there is nothing better than this. Its presence in weddings, parties and celebrations is almost certain. Although its round shape may seem complicated, it is true that making it is not so difficult. You too can make it easily.
how to make
Generally Jalebi is made from maida, flour and urad dal. Its batter is left for a few hours to ferment with some curd and then this fermented batter is taken in a cloth bag with a hole and it is rotated in a circular motion in a pan heated in oil. However, in many places the jalebi batter is not fermented, it is prepared from fresh batter only.
Have you ever seen confectioners making this? He shapes a lot of jalebis by moving his hands one after the other in the pan. It would be even better if you add rose water, saffron, cardamom and cream to the batter.
And then it turns golden
As soon as it comes into the hot oil or ghee of the pan, it starts being deep-fried and in this process it first turns from white to yellow and then as it gets hotter, it turns into a crispy orange-red color. Just at this time it is taken out of the pan and immersed in another vessel filled with syrup. Within a few minutes, syrup not only fills the empty crispy veins from inside but also makes it sweet from outside. Jalebi is ready. And what a yummy taste to eat. Well, now experiments have started with different ingredients in its batter also.
How did Jalebi come to India?
Eating Jalebi is enjoyable only when it is eaten hot. It is made from barley, flour and gram flour. Earlier, generally Jalebis made from barley and jaggery were in vogue. However, it is said about Jalebi that Nadir Shah brought it from Iran in the 12th century or 13th century. It was then called Jaulbia or Jilabia. As it became popular in India, it came to be called Jalebi.
It is also said that this dish reached Indian shores with Turkish and Persian traders and artisans. Soon the people of the subcontinent adopted it. Started calling it Jalebi.
What is the talk about Jalebi in books and scriptures?
It is written about its making in the book of Mohammad Bin Hasan of Turkey in the 13th century. It has been mentioned in the Jain book Karnap Katha in 1450. In the Sanskrit text Gunyagunabodhini of 1600 AD, it has been described as a delicious dish, which was round and juicy. In the 17th century, Raghunath praised Jalebi in his cooking book Bhojma Kautuhal.
‘Priyamkarnapakatha’, a famous Jain text written by the writer Jinasura around 1450 AD, discusses how Jalebi was a common dish relished among rich traders and people.
From Mughal kitchen to local confectioner’s shops
With time, the jalebi kept spreading as it went round and round. After the kitchens of the Mughal rulers, it reached the confectioners of Delhi and then to the sweet and snack shops of every locality and colony. Jalebi is also one of the dishes that Indians eat every day and start their day with. That’s why sweets shops are often buzzing early in the morning. However, Gujarat claims that Jalebi was first made there.
When Parsis who came to India from Iran celebrate Nowruz (Persian New Year), they definitely make Jalebi. However, it is said that the design of Zulbia was somewhat different from the Indian Jalebi.
Somewhere it is a combo of Jalebi and Rabdi and somewhere it is Kachori-Jalebi.
At some places the combo of Jalebi Rabdi is a hit and at others Kachori and Jalebi is very popular. In Bihar and Banaras, people first wet their tongue with Puri or Kachori in the morning and then dive into the sweet ocean of taste by enjoying Jalebis.
By the way, it is said that some of the old confectioners of Delhi were such that there used to be long queues in the morning for their Jalebis. People in Kolkata are crazy about Jalebi and Rabri combo. Gohana of Haryana is known for making the best Jaleba in the country. Jaleba means big size jalebi. The weight of one jaleba can be around 250 grams.
However, there is a difference between the Jalebi of North India and the Jalebi of South India. Its shape and size are different. In Bengali it is popular by the name Jilipi. People of Indore start flocking to special markets to eat Jalebi at night; Mawa Jalebi is made in Madhya Pradesh only. Similarly, Khova Jalebi is served in Hyderabad. Thicker jalebis are served than normal jalebis in Chandni Chowk or Old Delhi.
The old famous Jalebi wala is the oldest and most popular shop of Delhi. It is doing the business of making Jalebi since 1884. This shop was started by Nem Chand Jain. Now Kailash Jain is its owner. It is said that many Prime Ministers of India were appreciators of the Jalebi here. Bollywood superstars Raj Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor used to come here.
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Tags: Diwali Food, food, food 18, food diet, Food Recipe
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 29, 2024, 13:08 IST