A Long and Fascinating History of How the Jalebi Reached the Indian Subcontinent

The jalebi has a clear predecessor and origin. But once it reached India, it was adapted and altered and is now a uniquely Indian dessert.

Jalebis, crisp, crunchy and warm, sizzle and crackle as they settle into the mouth, with the sugar syrup they’re dipped in bursting through and coating the tongue with sweetness. A popular dessert all over the country, it’s normally enjoyed with rabri, but different states have different foods that they pair it with.

In Gujarat, for instance, it’s eaten with fafda. In Bihar, with samosa and kachori. States like UP and Haryana will pair it with a glass of hot milk, while Madhya Pradesh will enjoy jalebis with poha. There are several stalls all over the country where this dessert is quickly made and served hot, mesmerizing eaters with its swirls and sweetness.

The spiral dessert is made by combining all purpose flour or maida, gram flour or besan and baking soda into a batter, placing it in a muslin cloth cone with a small opening and then squeezing out spirals in a kadhai filled with ghee or oil. Once they’re golden brown, the spirals are soaked in sugar syrup and served warm. If you want that bright orange color, use a few drops of food coloring.

Many agree that the jalebi is a descendant of the Persian zulbiya. The first written record of the latter is found in Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi’s 10th-century cookbook Kitab al-Tabeekh. The book describes it as a dessert that’s served to people during Ramadan and other festivals. It’s still popular in Iran today. But while the zulbiya is asymmetric and dipped in a honey and rose water mixture, jalebis are circular and dipper in sugar syrup.

In his book Indian Food: A Historical Companion, food historian K.T. Achaya writes that “According to Hobson-Jobson, the world jilebi is “a corruption of the Arabic zalabiya or Persian zalibiya.” If so, both the word and the sweet, syrupy article of food that it connotes must have entered India quite early.”

The story goes that the recipe of the zulbiya came to the Indian subcontinent with Persian traders, artisans and invaders, all through the medieval period. It soon became an integral part of festivals and special occasions here, and it wasn't long before it started being served in temples as well. The 1450 CE text Priyamkarnrpakatha by Jinasura mentions jalebis as part of the dinner served by an Indian merchant. And by 1600 CE, the Sanskrit text Gunyagunabodhini includes the recipe of a dessert that’s identical to the present day jalebi.

There are other variations to the jalebi today, from Indore’s jaleba to Bengal’s chhanar jilipi, and from Andhra Pradesh’s imarti to the mawa jalebi of Madhya Pradesh, and even the khowa jalebi of Hyderabad.

Here’s an easy recipe so you can make the basic jalebi too.

Ingredients:

For the batter

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
• ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1 cup water

For the sugar syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp saffron strands
• Oil or ghee for deep frying

Directions:

• In a bowl, add the flour, gram flour, baking soda and turmeric powder. Mix well together.
• Then add the water and mix the batter, making sure it has an even consistency throughout. The batter should be able to flow from the back of a spoon.
• Cover the batter and let it sit overnight so it ferments.
• If the batter has become too thin, add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour.
• Pour the batter into a ketchup bottle or a muslin cloth with a hole cut into it or a piping bag. Set it aside while you make the sugar syrup.
• In a pan, add the sugar, saffron strands and water. Cook on medium heat and keep stirring until all the sugar dissolves and the mixture has a string consistency. Then add some lime juice and stir.
• To make the jalebis, heat oil or ghee in a kadhai and squeeze spirals of batter into it. Fry until the jalebis are light golden.
• Remove from the kadhai and dip them straight into the sugar syrup and let them sit for 2-3 minutes so they can really soak the syrup in. Then remove, let the excess syrup fall back in, and place on a plate.
• Serve warm with a side of chilled rabri.