As the final course of our Ms Marvel menu, Jalebi seemed appropriate – it’s as stretchy and winding and polymorphous as her limbs, and a fun Pakistani street food besides. It’s basically a funnel cake, but after frying the dough is soaked in a cardamom rose syrup that takes it to the next level.
I’ve eaten it many times before, sometimes fresh and sometimes from a shop, but this was my first time making them. I didn’t get them nicely coiled, but they are delightfully tangled and the cardamom rose flavor is just lovely.
For the jalebi
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch baking soda
- food coloring (usually yellow or orange, but I used red)
- oil for frying
Heat several inches oil in a pot or wok. Mix ingredients well and put in a pastry bag. When the oil is hot, pipe into the hot oil in circles, starting with the outside going in. Fry until golden, and remove into a pan of sugar syrup (below).
For the sugar syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- seeds of 2 cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons rosewater
In a wide pan, heat sugar and water until all sugar is melted, swirling occasionally to dissolve. Add cardamom pods and rosewater. Keep very warm but not boiling.
Once the dough is in the syrup, let it sit 30 seconds or so on each side and remove to a plate. Cool and serve warm or room temperature.
Check out the whole Ms Marvel Menu
See more of the The Comic Vault’s Comic Kitchen
Photo credit: Jonathan Hartzell