Method

Make rabdi: Boil milk in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Reduce to medium heat. Simmer, scraping the cream skin (malai) from the sides and folding it back in every 5 minutes. Continue for 20–25 minutes until milk reduces to roughly one-third. Add sugar, cardamom, saffron, and rose water. Stir 2 minutes. Cool completely. Refrigerate.
About 25 min
Tip: Good rabdi requires patience — the more the milk reduces and the more cream skin is incorporated, the richer and more textured it becomes.
Make jalebi: Mix flour, yoghurt, a pinch of turmeric (for colour), baking powder, and enough warm water to make a smooth batter. Rest 30 minutes. Make sugar syrup: boil sugar and water to half-string consistency with saffron. Keep warm. Fill batter in a squeeze bottle. Heat oil to 175°C. Pipe spiral jalebi shapes into hot oil. Fry 2 minutes until crispy. Immediately dip in warm sugar syrup for 1 minute. Remove.
About 20 min
Tip: Hot jalebi must go directly from frying into the syrup — the syrup penetrates only while the jalebi is crispy and hot.
Plate immediately: Spoon cold rabdi into a wide bowl or plate. Place 2–3 hot jalebi directly on the cold rabdi. The temperature contrast is the point — hot, crunchy, syrupy jalebi against cold, creamy, lightly floral rabdi. Serve within 1 minute of plating.
About 2 min
Tip: The jalebi must be served piping hot and the rabdi must be fridge-cold for the maximum contrast effect.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Contains: gluten, dairy