" Jalebi with Rabri "

" Jalebi with Rabri "
By Chef Prashant Adsule.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour ............................... 1 cup
Yogurt ........................................... 3/4 cup
Water ........................................... 1/2 cup
Melted ghee .................................... 11/2 tsp
Corn flour ....................................... 2 tbsp
Baking soda ..................................... 1/2 tsp

For syrup -
Sugar ............................................. 2 cup
Water ............................................ 2 cup
Saffron ........................................... 4 - 5 strands
Green cardamom powder ..................... 1/8 tsp
Rose essence ....................................... few drops (optional)
Lemon juice ..................................... 1/2 tsp
Oil ................................................. for deep frying +2 tbsp ghee

For rabri -
Ricotta ........................................... 1 1/4 cup
Milk ............................................... 3/4 cup
Mix of raisin, cashews and pistachios ...... 2 - 3 tbsp (chopped)
Green cardamom powder ..................... 1/8 tsp
Saffron ........................................... 4 - 5 strands
Condensed milk ................................. 1/2 cup

Method:

1. To make the rabri, mix all ingredients except nuts in a large microwave safe bowl and cook uncovered on high for 7 - 9 minutes stirring every two minutes. Add in the nuts and refrigerate to chill.
2. In a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, corn flour, baking soda. Mix thoroughly. Add ghee, yogurt and water and mix well until there are no lumps. Leave it overnight to ferment at a warm place (at a place where you would keep your yogurt to set). I use my oven for this (do not switch on the oven). If not fermented keep for few more hours. Mix it again, add a little water if required and make it into a pouring consistency. Mix with your hands or a spoon in circular motion for few minutes.
3. For syrup- In a heavy bottom pan, add water and sugar. Cook for 15 - 17 minutes on medium heat. Reduce flame to a very low simmer and add cardamom powder, lemon juice and saffron. Mix. Leave the syrup on this low heat while you make the jalebis.
4.Heat ghee and oil in a flat kadai or frying pan. Pour batter into a ziploc bag. Make a small hole at the bottom of the bag. Then squeeze the ziploc to pour the batter into medium hot ghee giving it a jalebi shape. Deep fry till golden and crisp on both sides.
5. Take out of oil and drop into the syrup. Allow jalebi to remain in the syrup for just a minute (flipping to coat both sides), shake off excess sugar syrup and place onto a plate.
6. For serving, place a hot jalebi on a plate, pour a couple of tbsp of chilled rabri over it. ENJOY!

Notes:

1. The temperature of the oil is extremely critical to get the texture right. The oil must be at medium to medium low heat. If too hot, the jalebi will fall apart and if not hot enough, the jalebis will be flat and mushy.

2. Getting the perfect spiral jalebi shape is a little tricky. So if you cannot get it right, don't worry about it too much as long as you get the above point right :)

3. Jalebi and rabri are basically two separate dishes and can be had independent of each other.