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Zlabia, a crispy dessert, is a deep-fried dough dipped in sugar syrup.

Zlabia (Easy Jalebi Recipe)

Jay
Zlabia (Easy Jalebi Recipe) is a spiral-shaped Iraqi dessert from dough that's deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup for a special treat!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 10 Serving
Calories 80 kcal

Equipment

Squeeze bottle

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cup corn starch
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 1 cup oil for frying
  • ½ teaspoon kunafa coloring if you want to make orange zalabia (optional)

Simple Syrup:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water at room temperatue
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together corn starch, flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
  • Gradually add water and keep stirring until all are combined, and the batter is like a pancake batter.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area for 45 minutes.
  • Once the dough has risen, use a spatula and stir until no air bubbles are left.
  • Pour the dough into a squeeze bottle, don’t fill the bottle all the way; you need to stir the dough every time you fill the squeeze bottle.
  • Heat the oil on medium heat.
  • Gently squeeze the batter out of the bottle into the hot oil, forming a circler pattern that resembles funnel cakes.
  • Fry on both sides until golden brown.
  • Take them out of the oil and dip them in room temperature simple syrup.
  •  Repeat the process until you run out of batter.

Simple Syrup (Attar)

  • This simple syrup requires no stirring, so don’t stir your sugar, but carefully pour your sugar in the middle of the pot, add water and lemon juice.
  • Cook on high heat for 8 minutes only. Set the timer; otherwise, it can burn or get too thick.
  • Remove from the heat immediately. You will notice the syrup will still be runny. But, it will get thicker as it cools down.

Video

Notes

  • It’s important to stir the dough after it has risen to get rid of all air bubbles.
  • Don’t fill out the squeeze bottle all the way up; the dough rises so quickly.
  • It’s important to stir the dough before filling up the squeeze bottle to get rid of air bubbles.
  • You can buy a squeeze bottle on amazon (I have linked one in the recipe card, or make one like the one I did in the video.)

Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate only.

Serving: 1 zlabiaCalories: 80kcal