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Elo jhelo
Fried dough strips in sugar syrup
এলো ঝেলো: twisted fried dough strips dipped in sugar syrup for Bijoya Dashami
Elo jhelo means something like 'messy-tangled', and it describes these knotted, twisted strips of fried dough that Bengali grandmothers make for Bijoya Dashami, when the goddess leaves and everyone shares sweets. The strips are cut, slit and pulled through themselves into a twist, fried slowly until crisp, then dipped in a one-string sugar syrup that sets to a thin, crackly glaze. They keep for weeks in a tin. Common mistake: dipping the strips in syrup that is too thin; it soaks in and makes them soggy. Cook the syrup until a drop pulled between finger and thumb forms one thread. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of semolina to the dough; it makes elo jhelo crunchier and less likely to soften once glazed.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- 1 tsp fine semolina
- 1 ¾ oz gheemelted
- ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup cold waterabout
- 3 cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
For the syrup
- 7 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour (maida), 1 tsp fine semolina, ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji) and 1 pinch salt. Rub in 1 ¾ oz ghee until crumbly and a fistful holds together, then add ½ cup cold water gradually and knead to a stiff dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Roll the dough 3 mm thick and cut into strips about 8 cm by 2.5 cm. Cut a slit down the middle of each strip, leaving the ends joined, and pull one end through the slit to make a twist.
15 minStep 3: Heat 3 cups vegetable oil to about 300°F. Fry the twists in batches over a low-medium heat for 7–8 minutes until crisp and light golden all over. Drain and cool.
20 minStep 4: Put 7 oz sugar and ½ cup water in a wide pan and boil, stirring until dissolved, then for 6–8 minutes more until it reaches one-string consistency: a cooled drop pulled between finger and thumb stretches into a single thread.
8 minStep 5: Stir in ½ tsp ground green cardamom, turn the heat to low and add the twists a handful at a time. Toss to coat, lift out and spread on a tray. The syrup dries to a white, crackly coat in about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight tin.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does elo jhelo take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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