Jangri
Jangri, a beloved South Indian dessert, is made with urad dal (black gram) and features intricate loops, fried to perfection and soaked in a fragrant sugar syrup. This vibrant, orange-coloured sweet has been cherished across generations and adds sweetness to festivals like Diwali. For me, Jangri holds a special place as a childhood favourite.
Equipment
- 1 Mixie
Ingredients
For Batter
- 3/4 Cup Urad dal
- 1/4 tsp Orange food colour
- 2-3 tsp Water to grind
- 2 tsp Rice flour Optional
Sugar Syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 drops Rose essence
- 1/4 tsp Orange food colour
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Other Ingredients
- To fry Oil
- 4 tsp Ghee
Instructions
Prepare the Batter
- Soak the urad dal in water for about 2–3 hours.
- Drain the soaked dal and grind it to a smooth, thick batter in a blender. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed but keep the batter thick.
- Take the batter in a bowl and it is aerated using hand or spoon to lighten the batter.
- Add the food colour to the batter and mix well. The consistency should be similar to vada batter – thick enough to pipe without spreading.
Make the Sugar Syrup
- In a pan, add sugar and water and heat on medium flame.
- Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and reaches a half-string consistency (when it starts forming single string) or boil it until it get sticky.
- Add cardamom powder, rose water, and saffron strands, if using, and keep the syrup warm on very low heat. The syrup shouldn’t crystallize, so cover it if needed.
Pipe and Fry the Jangri
- Fill a piping bag with a small round nozzle (or a Jangri cloth, if you have one) with the batter. I used ziplock cover.
- Heat oil in a wide, flat bottomed frying pan on medium heat. Add ghee into it. Test by dropping a small bit of batter – it should rise without browning immediately.
- Pipe the batter directly into the hot oil, making spiral shapes with loops. Fry in batches.
- Fry until both sides are lightly golden and cooked through, then drain on paper towels briefly.
Soak in Sugar Syrup
- Immediately transfer the fried Jangris into the warm sugar syrup.
- Let each Jangri soak for about 2–3 minutes, flipping once to ensure both sides absorb the syrup.
- Remove and place them on a plate to cool.
Notes
- Batter Consistency: Keep the batter thick for easy piping. A thin batter won’t hold its shape in the oil.
- Oil Temperature: Medium heat works best – too high will brown them quickly, and too low will make them soggy.
- Sugar Syrup Temperature: Keep the syrup warm, not hot, so the Jangris absorb the sweetness without becoming mushy.