Jalebi - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups pastry flour
1/4 cup rice flour, plus
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 drops orange food coloring (OR 2 drops yellow, 1 drop red food colour)
1 teaspoon kewra essence or 1 teaspoon rose essence
light oil, for frying

Preparation

Dissolve yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
Let stand until frothy.
Meanwhile, beat pastry and rice flours with 1 1/2 cups water.
to a smooth batter.
Add the yeast mixture and beat again.
Let the batter stand overnight, lightly covered.
It will ferment slightly.
Beat it frothy before using.
It should be thin enough to pour in a continuous stream.
Dissolve the 2 cups of sugar in the remaining water.
Heat it over medium heat and add the cream of tartar and food colouring.
Cook the syrup to the soft ball stage.
Let it cool to lukewarm and stir in the essence.
Using a heavy fry pan or skillet or wok and at least 1 1/2 inches of oil, heat to 375 deg.
Have ready a large cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
Put the batter into a pastry bag with a 1/4 inch nozzle or squeeze bottle with nozzle.
Squeeze the batter into the oil in a concentric circle about 3 inches in diameter or larger if you wish.
Fry until lightly golden,turning once.
Drain the jalebi on sheets of paper towel.
While still hot, dip each jalebi into the syrup and then move to the cooling rack where excess syrup will drip off.
Repeat the process of frying and draining and dipping and dripping until the batter is used up.
these can be eaten hot or cold.