Before frying the batter, sugar syrup is prepared and is usually flavored with edible camphor,cloves, cardamom and saffron. The fried material is then dipped in sugar syrup until it expands in size and soaks up a significant amount of the syrup. In Northern India and Pakistan, imartis are usually drained, so tend to be drier than jalebis. The pieces can be served hot, at room temperature, or sometimes refrigerated.

Ingredients:

Urad dal(skinless) - 1 cup

Rice - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 5 cups (use 3 cups if you dont have a sweet tooth)

Safforn (kesar) - 2 teaspoons

Edible orange colour (kesari colour) - 1 pinch (optional)

Cardamom Powder - 1 teaspoon

Ghee - for deep fry

Rose essence - 5-6 drops (optional)

For decoration:

Pistachios (blanched and slivered) - 7-8nos.

Method:

1. Soak dal and rice together for about forty-five minutes.
2. Drain and grind with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture.
3. Just use one cup of water to grind, sinc the batter should not be too thin in consistency.
4. Add colour and mix very well.
5. If using a mixie, beat the dal well by hand till fluffy after grinding.
6. Keep aside for 3 hours. More is weather is cold.
   
7. Boil sugar with two and a half cups of water till a syrup of single-thread consistency is reached.
8. Remove from heat and strain the syrup.
9. Add saffron, rose essence and green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.
10. Heat sufficient oil or ghee in a deep bottom kadai for frying the imarthis. Pour sufficient oil or ghee , so that the ghee.
11. Take one ladle full of batter in the imarti cloth, hold tightly and press the batter through the hole into the hot oil. For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle and over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.
12. If cloth is not comfortable for making the Imartis, then use a bottle with noozle.
    
13. Lower the flame and make small batches and deep fry on both the sides till crisp and light golden brown.
14. Drain the hot imarti and dip into the sugar syrup. Let them remain immersed till they have absorbed enough syrup.
15. Drain and place the imarti on a flat plate. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up.
16. Soak for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve.
17. Repeat for remaining batter.
18. Make 4-5 imartis at a time, depending on size of frying pan.
19. Serve hot garnished with pistachio slivers.
    

Preparation time: 2o minutes (excluding the soaking and fermenting time)

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes.

Serves: 4-5 persons, makes 16-20 imarthis.

Shelflife: 5-6 days (if stored properly in air tight container).

Serving suggestion: serve hot or warm as per choice.

Note:

• Use a flat bottomed frying pan.
• The imarti bottle can be substituted with a soft plastic sauce bottle with a nozzle.
• If not available, take a 12"x 12" thick cloth, make a buttonhole type hole in centre.
• Place over a tumbler and pour in some batter.
• Hold like a pouch and press out imartis like icing.
• Shape the imartis as follows, make a ring first, then form small ringlets all along the ring.
• Till you come to the start.

Click here to know more about Uttar Pradesh foods and recipes - An Introduction To Uttar Pradesh Foods And Recipes.