Although some individuals may choose to skip breakfast, the people of Lucknow place great importance on this meal and indulge in a variety of rich, fried, and meaty delicacies. Interestingly, sweets are also commonly found on their breakfast tables, including the unique combination of dahi and jalebi.
Jalebi, for the uninitiated, is a crispy, fried, entangled loop that is dipped in sugar syrup immediately after being fried. The bright orange hue glistens with a coating of the syrup and makes it so hard to resist. Interestingly, jalebi is not of Indian origin. It is believed that Zalabia, an Arabic sweet dipped in sugar syrup, is a precursor to the present-day jalebi. However, the shape differs, as the former had floral coils that were not symmetrical, while the Indian sweet has interconnected coils.
Now that we know where jalebi came from, you will also be amazed at the huge variety of jalebi combinations that one gets to eat in the country. Right from poha and kachori to rabdi and doodh, this sugary delight can be paired with all sorts of things. Take the Lucknow-special dahi jalebi, for instance. For those untouched by the phenomenon, this unique combination is a popular breakfast item in the city of Nawabs.
A crispy jalebi is prepared early in the morning, after which it is generously coated with khatta dahi, or sour curd. The sweet and sour flavours combine well to give the locals a burst of flavour in their mouths. The curd is usually set in clay pots and is super creamy and delicious. While it is usually milk or rabdi that is commonly eaten with the sweet, the Lucknowis have shown us how dahi is a great idea too.