By Yash Lakhan
March 7, 2024
Jalebi and imarti or jangiri are popular Indian desserts and they are often confused with one another. Both these desserts are enjoyed regularly and on festivals like Diwali and Holi too. These sweets are so widely linked to each other that their names are also used interchangeably at times but these identical confections have major distinctions between them.
Imarti was first created in Northern India and is popular in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan whereas Jalebi made its way to India from Persia.
Imarti is made using urad dal flour and jalebi on the other hand uses wheat or maida (all-purpose flour).
The jalebi batter is kept to ferment overnight with yoghurt but imarti batter doesn't need fermentation and is prepared right away.
They may look similar at first glance but jalebi features chaotic swirls all over it and jangiri has more of an aesthetic look resembling flowers.
Jalebi is on the crunchier and chewy side with a sticky sweet syrup inside. Imarti is known for its more gooey and soft texture.
In terms of nutrition, imarti stands tall as it uses urad dal flour in place of maida.