Nothing beats the heavenly experience of enjoying fresh and hot jalebis for breakfast. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and dipped in thick sugar syrup, jalebis represent the wide variety of desserts that Indian cuisine boasts. It is also known as funnel cake, but there's also another popular dessert, imarti or jangiri, that is often confused for jalebi.
Imarti, in its own right, is a delectable dessert that is loved by many people and is a part of many Indian festival celebrations such as Holi and Diwali. Despite having a similar appearance, jalebi and jangiri are two distinct desserts that shouldn't be confused with one another. Therefore, to make it even clearer, we bring you the five key differences that set these classic sweets apart.
Origins
Despite their similar appearance, jalebi and jangiri have both different origins. Jangiri or imarti, was first created in Northern India and is popular in states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, where it is still enjoyed and eaten the most. Jalebi, on the other hand, would come as a surprise because this popular Indian sweet is not originally an Indian creation. The origin of our desi jalebi is Persia, and it is popularly enjoyed in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as well.
Flours
This could come as a surprise because of their strikingly similar appearance. But despite that, the flour that is used to make these desserts isn't the same. This is also one of the key distinctions between the sweet treats. Jalebi is prepared using wheat, or all-purpose flour, also known as maida, which is a refined and processed flour, whereas imarti is typically prepared by using urad dal flour.
Fermentation
Another major difference between the desserts is that the batter that is created to prepare jalebi is fermented overnight with yoghurt to make it more flavourful. But nowadays, antacids and yeast are used to quicken the fermentation process.
Jangiri, on the other hand, doesn't require any fermentation and is prepared right away once the batter is prepared.
Texture
Imarti is typically more soft and gooey as compared to jalebi, which is more on the crunchier and chewy side while having a sweet syrup on the inside.
Appearance
They look extremely similar at first glance but if you look at them carefully, you will soon realise that jalebi has chaotic swirls more like pretzels, whereas imarti has an aesthetic, flower-like appearance.
Nutrition
Both of these desserts are favourites, but if you want to look from a health point of view, then picking imarti would be considered a better option than jalebi. Since imarti is made using urad dal flour compared to jalebi's maida or wheat flour, it packs a significant amount of nutrition.