Oil or ghee: for deep frying

For the sugar syrup: 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, a pinch of saffron strands, 4–5 green cardamom pods (or ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder), and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Optional garnishes: nuts (pistachios, almonds) or fresh milk/rabri.

Preparation

Prepare the batter: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, gram flour (or semolina), turmeric and a pinch of baking powder if you are making instant Jilapi. Stir in the yogurt and enough water to form a thick but pourable batter. Beat or whisk thoroughly until smooth. The batter should flow easily but not be very runny.

Ferment (traditional) or rest (quick): For a traditional jilapi, cover the batter and let it rest at room temperature for 12–24 hours. The batter should develop a slight sour aroma from the yogurt. For a quicker version, add ½ teaspoon baking soda or baking powder now and skip the resting period. (The leavening will make the coils fluffy.)

Make the sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the syrup reaches a single-string consistency (test by dipping a fingertip – a drop of syrup should form a thin thread between your fingers). Remove the pan from heat and stir in the saffron strands, crushed cardamom, and lemon juice. Keep the syrup warm while you fry the jilapi.

Heat the oil: In a deep pan or kadhai, heat oil or ghee over medium heat (around 160–170°C). If using neutral oil, add a tablespoon of ghee for extra richness and flavor. The oil should be hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles and rises immediately, but not so hot that the jilapi browns too fast.

Fry the coils: Pour the batter into a squeezable bottle or piping bag (or a sturdy ziplock bag with a small corner snipped off). Pipe out spirals or concentric circles directly into the hot oil. You can start from the center and spiral outward, or make loose coil rings. Fry the spirals on medium heat until they turn a deep golden-orange (they will puff up slightly). Fry one test jalebi first: if it puffs up into a thick soft spiral, your batter was too runny – add a little more flour. If it forms a thin, crispy disk, it was too thick – loosen it with a bit of water. Adjust as needed and fry the rest of the batch, turning so they brown evenly.

Soak in syrup: As soon as the coils are fried, transfer them to the warm sugar syrup. Make sure the syrup is warm, not boiling hot – very hot syrup will make the jilapi too soft. Let the jilapi soak for about 2–3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess syrup to drip off.

Serve: Serve the Jilapi hot or warm on plates. They will still be crisp on the outside and gooey inside. (See serving suggestions below for pairing ideas.)