Gluten-free Jalebi (paleo, vegan, grain-free)

I am so gosh darn excited to share my gluten-free jalebi recipe with you guys! Like so excited that I literally feel no embarrassment for saying gosh darn excited!

Gluten-free & Paleo Jalebi?!

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make gluten-free jalebi! These jalebis taste so much like the real thing too! 

If you’ve never had a jalebi, you are in for the sweetest treat! These crispy deep-fried Indian funnel cakes are soaked in a sweet syrup and they are so, so perfect! You won’t miss the gluten, I promise! They’re sweet and rich and decadent and oh my gosh someone please make me one… or five!

These Indian sweets are served during special occasions and festivals. They’re like sticky sweet crispy funnel cakes. You typically eat them on their own – as a snack with some masala chai. Sometimes kids (or adults… hi 🙋🏽‍♀️) will eat jalebis soaked in warm milk for breakfast (this is so good!).

So I have something to admit… I’ve been hanging onto this recipe for YEARS. I know, so selfish of me. This recipe is actually from my eBook, South Asian Persuasion: 100+ Paleo Indian Recipes. All of the recipes in my eBook are gluten-free, grain-free and lactose-free (ghee is the only dairy I use in the book).

I recently shared a recipe for my coconut flour gulab jamun on the blog. I have another gulab jamun recipe in my eBook as well as another jalebi recipe (apple jalebis!). So if you follow a paleo diet, you will most definitely want my paleo Indian ecookbook.

How to Make Gluten-free Jalebi:

Let me start by telling you what is NOT in this batter: there’s no white flour, no rice flour, no dal flour. So what is this gluten-free jalebi made out of?

You only need SEVEN ingredients to make these jalebis and that includes water + oil. Do water and oil even count as ingredients? The cast of characters in this jalebi production are: oil for frying, almond flour, arrowroot flour, full-fat coconut milk, coconut sugar, water and probiotics.

You might be wondering about that last ingredient… probiotics? Yes! Traditionally, jalebis are made with a fermented batter, which is what makes them nice and bubbly. We’re making a fermented batter too – using these probiotic capsules. You just empty the probiotic powder into the batter and then discard the capsule’s casing. Allow the batter to ferment – then the fun begins!

And by fun, I mean deep-frying the batter until crisp, then dunking the jalebis in a sweet sugar syrup!

So are you on board this gluten-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly and vegan jalebi train? Hop on, friends! Make this for yourself, for a gluten-free friend or the next time you host a dinner party! And you know, make sure to invite me…

Gluten-free Jalebi (paleo, vegan, grain-free)

Gluten-free Jalebi (paleo, vegan, grain-free)

Jalebis are a popular dessert often served during celebrations or festivals. They’re like crispy funnel cakes soaked in a sugar syrup. Jalebis are made with a fermented batter, which is what makes them nice and bubbly. In India, kids sometimes eat jalebis soaked in warm milk for breakfast. These really do taste like the real thing. You can keep extra jalebis in the freezer, they thaw well.

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ Oil enough to fry (I like to use avocado oil or sustainable palm shortening)

Jalebi Batter:

• ▢ ½ cup almond flour
• ▢ ½ cup + 3 tablespoons arrowroot flour divided
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• ▢ Probiotic capsules totaling 40 to 50 billion cultures*

Syrup:

• ▢ 1 cup sugar I like to use coconut sugar which adds color to the jalebis
• ▢ ½ cup water

Instructions

 

To Make Jalebis:

• Combine almond flour, ½ cup arrowroot flour, and coconut milk in a bowl. Empty the contents of the probiotic capsules into the bowl and mix well (discard the capsule's casing). Loosely cover the bowl with a lid and place it in the oven, with the oven light on for at least 10 hours (the oven should not be on, just the oven light).
• Once the batter has fermented, add 3 tablespoons of arrowroot flour to the bowl and mix well. Put the batter in the fridge for at least 1 hour to thicken.
• Heat oil in a wok or a deep, wide bottomed pot to 330°F. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, otherwise the jalebis will break apart.
• Spoon the batter into a ziplock bag, seal the top, and snip one of the bottom corners.
• Squeeze the batter into the hot oil, in a spiral coil-like shape. Start from the middle and make three tight spirals. They will need to be tight as they will spread out as they cook in the oil. Cook until they turn light golden brown, then immediately move the jalebi from the oil into the sugar syrup (see below).

To Make the Syrup:

• Add sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove the sauce from heat, allow to cool slightly.

Notes

• Depending on the brand of priobiotics you use, the number of capsules may vary. Look at the back of the box to see the number of cultures are in one capsule. If you use this brand, you'll want to use two capsules since each capsule has 25 billion cultures. With other brands, you may need to use four or five in order to reach 40-50 billion. This is super easy to find at your local drugstore (CVS carries them!) but you can buy them on amazon as well.
• You can keep extra jalebis in the freezer, they thaw well.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!