MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Jalebi (Indian Funnel Cakes) PT 2 Categories: Desserts, Indian Yield: 20 Jalebis See part 1 Add the fried jalebis to the warm syrup. Let soak for not more than 25 to 30 seconds and take out again tilting the ladle to drain excess syrup else they will break and turn soggy. Fry up all the jalebis and soak in syrup. Serve warm with cold unsweetened yogurt. Notes: Indian Cooking especially mithai (sweets) making rides on a lot of approximations and tips and tricks learned through experience. In our homes, rarely gadgets are used to test the oil or sugar syrup temperatures or times. Lets say we trust our sight and smell senses more when cooking. Mithai making is an art and gets better with practice. Here are few of the things I have learned from mum and my own trials. Addition of lemon juice to the syrup prevents crystallization of sugar as well as lends it a mild tart flavor which is typical to jalebis. Adding food coloring to the batter is a choice, if you do not want, skip it. I like to add color because my mum always does and I think it looks nice to the eyes. Usually the batter gets a little runny after fermentation, so it's better to keep it on the thickish side before you set it out to ferment. You can always add water later to get the right consistency. One of the ways to check the consistency of batter is to take a large quantity in your hands and try to drop it in the bowl from a height, about 1 to 2' it should fall is continuously, similar to how a lace or ribbon flows. You could use a Ziploc bag with a hole cut up at the end to make the jalebis, but I find using the squeeze bottle much easier since if you keep on pressing the Ziploc bag, after a few batches, the hole becomes large in size and the jalebis become very very thick. I find the ziploc method quite messy too. The squeezable bottles are available in baking aisle for a couple of dollars. They are much expensive to buy online. But trust me, really easy and work with. Attaching a nozzle to a piping bag works fine too, just keep in mind that the thickness of the jalebis will depend on the nozzle size. Do not use a very big size nozzle since the jalebis will not cook properly inside once fried. While frying, if the temperature of oil is too hot, the jalebis will come up sizzling, the batter will tear or have bubbles all over, it might every scatter in the oil and jalebis will turn over crisp and not absorb syrup properly. If the oil temperature is too low, the jalebis will remain flat and raw inside. Once you start frying, it will take you 1 to 2 minutes to know the right temperature of oil, the jalebis should come up within few seconds (2 to 3 seconds) of piping into oil and swell as you fry but at the same time do not get too brown. Don't worry I also had few over brown ones, so you will know when its right. Getting the right shape of the jalebis takes time, they do not have to be precise and perfect but as you make more and more, you will get a hang of it. Just keep in mind to squeeze the bottle/piping bag batter with a constant pressure and work in concentric circles, outside towards inside. Again, practice will help. However, whatever shape they come out, they will taste good. The right texture of the jalebis is crispy on outside, if you take a bite, you will notice the tubular crossection filled with syrup. Without getting more technical, just know that they are not meant to be soft. You will have leftover syrup after the jalebis are soaked. I usually dunk baked bread croutons/slices in them and serve as a snack. You could refrigerate it and use to make gulab jamuns if you like. Also, it can be used in smoothies or for making beverages too. Jalebis can be stored for 2 to 3 days. Do not refrigerate. Just store at room temperature. I however, do not recommend or prefer storing them. Make small batches and serve right away. Recipe by sanjuro Recipe FROM: MMMMM