Jalebi

As a child, I would watch in wide-eyed wonder as my mom lifted one jalebi after another out of the frying pan, forming mouthwatering piles of orange spirals. Nothing beats gathering loved ones around a mountain of these freshly fried treats and biting into the hot chewy-crispy swirls straight out of the fryer.

These South Asian treats look intimidatingly beautiful, but jalebi are simple to make. Don’t let the deep-frying deter you—wintery days are the ideal time to turn on the stove and go on a jalebi journey. The urad dal (ivory white lentil) powder in the batter helps the jalebi stay crisp no matter how long they soak in the cardamom-rose syrup. Not a fan of rose? Feel free to flavor your syrup with warm spices or some orange-flower water. Whatever you do, just don’t forget the lemon juice; it prevents the syrup from crystallizing while your jalebi soak it all up. —Mehreen Karim