Jalebi is one of those desserts that’s pretty much exclusively for unapologetic sweet tooths. It’s about as close as you can get to eating pure syrup.
I’m an unapologetic sweet tooth, so I quite enjoyed it — but even for me, it was borderline too sweet.
Shantilal Sweets in Fort Kochi serves a well-loved version of this dessert (and many others), and it’s easy enough to see why the place is so popular.
Jabeli is a really simple dessert — it’s deep fried batter that’s thoroughly soaked in syrup. That’s it. It’s really simple (and really good).
The version at Shantilal Sweets has a nice citrusy sour tang that helps it not feel one-note sweet. It’s nice and crispy on its exterior, a little bit chewy, and absolutely soaked through with syrup. They’re relatively small, so I ordered three — I think one would have sufficed. A little bit goes a long way.
How to find it: It has a big red sign in English. It’s hard to miss.