There are hundreds and thousands of desserts available across different cuisines, and Asian desserts are one of the richest and most delicious desserts available for people with a sweet tooth. One of the most popular desserts is jalebi, which is widely compared with jangiri. So, let’s check out the jangiri vs. jalebi comparison to understand the differences.
Jangiri vs Jalebi
Jangiri
Jangiri is shaped like flowers and is fried in hot and sweet syrup, and consumed hot as well. It is a delectable Indian dessert that’s widely served and consumed on festive occasions. This is a sugar-coated sweet that looks like a funnel and is also known as imarti, particularly in the Hindi language. In addition, many people call it Jahangir, emarti, amrita, and omriti. It is available in various regions of India but originated from the Northern Indian regions.
According to the sources, jangiri gained popularity during the Mughal era, and people from Kerala named these sweets. It has a similar appearance as jalebi, which is why they are confused with each other. The most significant difference is that the jangiri is made from ground urad dal, and there is no need for fermentation at all. Jangiri has a unique flower-like shape and is prepared in a specific way. Since it is made from udal dal, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it’s a slightly healthier choice.
For the most part, it’s made in hot oil and is dipped in sweet sugary syrup. In most cases, it’s dipped in the sugar syrup for more time, which results in a chewy and gooey texture. Also, it appears thicker as compared to jalebi. As far as the preparation is concerned, the sugar syrup is prepared with kewra, cardamom, saffron, cloves, and camphor, which adds a pungent yet appealing aroma. It is usually dipped in sugary syrup until it expands and soaks up.
In the northern parts of India, they are also drained to make them drier. Once prepared and cooked, jangiri is served in hot form, but many people refrigerate them or cool down them to room temperature, depending on personal preferences. For the most part, it’s served after meals and is an important part of festivals and weddings as well. Last but not least, many people consume it with yogurt to compensate for the sweetness.
Jalebi
Jalebi is one of the sweetest snacks in West Asia, South Asia, Mauritius, and Africa. It is known by different names, including jerry, jilipy, jalebi, jilapi, zalabia, and more. When it comes down to the South Asian variety it’s made by deep-frying the all-purpose and plain flour batter in circular shapes or in the shape of pretzels. It is soaked in sugar syrup and is eaten with rabri or yogurt in North India. However, many people serve it with kewra, which is scented water.
In west Asian cuisines, the batter is made from yeast dough that’s fried and dipped in honey and rose water syrup. On the other hand, the North African version has a different batter, and the syrup is usually made from rose water and honey. Jalebi is served in cold as well as warm forms, depending on personal preferences. For the most part, these sweets have a crispy texture but have a bit of chewiness as well.
On the exterior side, there is a crystallized sugar coating. In some cases, the syrup is enhanced with lime juice, rose water, and citric acid. Jalebi is known to have a spiral shape, and the batter is made with a combination of sugar syrup, gram flour, and all-purpose flour. The batter is fermented with yeast before it’s fried to add a unique flavor, and once the dough is fermented, it’s added to the hot oil in the form of concentric circles or spirals.
The batter is fried until it achieves a crispy texture, and once they are fully fried, they are dipped in sugar syrup. In the majority of cases, the jalebi is served hot and can be easily purchased from sweet shops and push carts. In India, jalebi is served in breakfast but is essential during Eid, Holi, and Diwali. All in all, making jalebi is pretty easy as it needs only thirty minutes but make sure you purchase them from authentic shops to enjoy the real flavor.