Jalebi

The crispy, crunchy, warm Jalebi sizzles and crackles as it settles into the mouth, oozing sweetness from the sugar syrup it is dipped in. It’s a popular dessert all over the country, enjoyed in different ways in different parts. For instance, Gujarat pairs it with Fafda, Bihar with Samosa and Kachori, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana with a glass of hot milk, Bhopal with Poha, and so on. Made with a combination of flour, hung curd, ghee, sugar, saffron, corn flour, powdered cardamom, baking soda, a cooking oil, water, rose essence, and food colour, it can be prepared in under 40 minutes.

Jalebi, many agree, descends from the Persian Zulbiya, whose first written record is in the 10th-century cookbook Kitab al-Tabeekh by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi. It’s described as a dessert that’s distributed among the people during Ramadan and other festivals. The dessert is still popular in Iran today. While it is asymmetrical, jalebi is circular, and while the former is dipped in a mixture of honey and rose water, for jalebi, sugar syrup suffices.

Zulbiya’s recipe was, the story goes, brought to the Indian subcontinent through Persian traders, artisans, and invaders, throughout the mediaeval period. It quickly became indispensable to special occasions and festivals, even becoming an important offering in temples. The first Indian mention of the Jalebi is in the 1450 CE text Priyamkarnrpakatha, by Jinasura, who describes it as part of the dinner served by an Indian merchant. In 1600 CE, Gunyagunabodhini, a Sanskrit text, details the recipe of a dessert that’s exactly like the present-day Jalebi.

Today, India has many variations and adaptations of the Jalebi, from Indore’s Jaleba to Bengal’s Chhanar Jilipi and Andhra Pradesh’s Imarti.