Jalebi Waffle Rosettes

by Kate | May 6, 2021 | 0 comments

Jalebi are an Indian sweet traditionally made by piping batter in spiral shapes into hot oil and then soaking them in a fragrant sugar syrup. My version uses the same batter and syrup, but I’ve turned them into crispy waffles using a Swedish waffle rosette iron. The nooks and crannies are perfect for soaking up all that delicious syrup! 

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I grew up on Swedish Waffle Rosettes. My best friend’s mom had a vintage waffle iron that she would whip out on Friday afternoons after we’d been collected from school and my best friend and I would spend the afternoon making these crispy treats drenched in honey and icing sugar. The taste still reminds me of the excitement of sleepovers and special memories! So when Natura Sugars asked me to dream up an idea to celebrate the very special occasion of Eid, I wondered if those rosettes wouldn’t work as jalebi. I adore jalebi but these pretty rosettes are just so festive and colourful and would look beautiful as part of an Eid spread. 

The most delicious part of the jalebi waffles is that beautiful sticky syrup on the outside – without it, these wouldn’t taste like much! I chose to use the Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar (click to shop it on my online shop) as its fine crystals are perfect for dissolving quickly into sugar syrups. It also has a light caramel flavour which doesn’t disguise the flavour of the orange blossom water. It is my go-to sugar for most baking! 

Here are a few other tricks I learnt during the process of making the jalebi waffles that might help: 

1. Don’t overmix the batter. Just mix until everything is incorporated and then leave it. Overmixing will work up too much gluten and give you tough jalebi. 
2. The oil temperature needs to be 160C – this is the perfect temperature to give you light jalebi waffles which release from the waffle iron easily. 
3. Don’t let the waffle iron get too hot. I allowed mine to cool down after every 4-5 jalebi waffles before trying again. If the iron is too hot it cooks the batter too fast and they stick. 
4. Keep the syrup simmering gently while you dunk the fried jalebi waffles into it – if it cools down too much it will start to crystallize. 

You can watch the video below to get more tips:

Don’t get scared off if you don’t have a Swedish Waffle Rosette iron, these can be made without one. Just place the batter in a squeezy bottle or disposable piping bag and snip off the top then pipe the batter directly into the hot oil in spirals. You’ll have authentic jalebi and they will be just as delicious! If you want to get your hands on a waffle iron, I got mine at Yuppiechef. 

Find the recipe below or get the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

JALEBI WAFFLE ROSETTES

Makes 24

For the syrup:

660g (780ml) Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar

660ml water

2 tsp orange blossom water

For the jalebi waffles:

130g (250ml) self-raising flour

15ml (1 tbsp) cornstarch

2.5ml (½ tsp) tartaric acid

2.5ml (½ tsp) ground cardamom

pinch of salt

15ml (1 tbsp) melted ghee or butter

15ml (1 tbsp) full cream yoghurt

175ml cold water

Pink, yellow and purple food colouring

Sunflower oil, for deep frying

Swedish waffle rosette iron (available at baking shops) – I got mine at Yuppiechef

1. To make the jalebi, start with the syrup. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat and simmer until the syrup reaches thread stage or 118 degrees Celsius on a sugar thermometer. Stir in the orange blossom water and keep warm. 
2. To make the batter, mix the self-raising flour, cornflour, tartaric acid, ground cardamom and pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix the yoghurt with cold water and pour it into a mixing bowl
4. Whisk until the batter is smooth and add the melted ghee. 
5. Divide the batter between three bowls and colour each batter a different colour using the pink, yellow and purple food colouring. 
6. Preheat the oil to 160 degrees celsius. 
7. Dip the bottom of the waffle iron into the hot oil for 30 seconds to preheat it. 
8. Carefully dip the hot iron into the batter, taking care not to let the batter reach over the edges of the waffle iron. Return the batter-coated iron to the hot oil and hold it in the oil for 10-15 seconds, moving it up and down so the oil reaches into the grooves. 
9. Set the iron onto the bottom of the pot or deep fryer and allow the waffle to fry until the waffles are crispy – about 2 minutes. 
10. Use a chopstick to carefully slip the waffle off the waffle iron then remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Continue using the remaining batter. 
11. Once all the jalebi waffles have been fried, bring the syrup to a gentle simmer. 
12. Carefully dip the waffles into the hot syrup and soak for 1-2 minutes or until they turn translucent. Remove from the syrup and leave on a wire rack to drain and cool. 
13. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

TIP: replace the orange blossom water with rose water for a different flavour. I decorated mine with edible rose petals, chopped pistachios and edible gold leaf for a festive touch. 

NOTE: If you don’t have a waffle iron, place the batter in a squeeze bottle or disposable piping bag and pipe the batter into the hot oil in spirals.