Is jalebi not Indian? Tracing the sweet's twisted history

For many Indians, jalebi is more than just a sweet. Pair it with samosa or pakora on a rainy evening, add a cup of garam-garam cutting chai, and it becomes a familiar comfort. But the spiral-shaped mithai has a history that stretches far beyond the Indian subcontinent.

Its earliest known versions can be traced to West Asia, where fried sweets similar to jalebi were known as zalabiya or zulabiya. Medieval Arabic cookbooks, including the 10th-century Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, contain recipes for the sweet. A 13th-century cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi also records it.

How jalebi reached India

The recipe eventually travelled to the Indian subcontinent, where it was adapted over time. By around the 15th century, jalebi was appearing in Indian literary references. The Jain text Priyamkarnrpakatha, composed around 1450 CE, mentions the sweet during a merchant's dinner.

As the recipe spread, different regions developed their own versions, names and methods. What is recognised as jalebi in one part of India may have a noticeably different form elsewhere.

Same sweet, different names

In West Bengal, for instance, jalebi is commonly known as jilipi, while imarti is called amriti. But even these names can cover different preparations.

“In Bengal, Jilipi can be of multiple varieties. But a thicker batter (with a different recipe) and more complex method is used for making amriti,” Kolkata-based food writer and blogger Indrajit Lahiri, popularly known as Foodka, tells India Today.

There is also chhenar jilipi, made using chhena as the base. Lahiri says, “If someone uses chhena base as the batter, it’s named as chhenar jilipi.” In Narajol in Midnapore, jilipi can also be prepared with moong dal or split green gram and is known as moong jilipi or papri.

Jalebi and imarti are not the same

Imarti has its own identity. Traditionally made with urad dal batter, it is thicker and has a flower-like pattern. In parts of South India, it is called jangiri or jangri.

“Imarti is called Jangiri here. We in south have our version and people in north have their own,” Chennai-based food expert Shabnam tells India Today.

While stories connect imarti's origins to Mughal-era kitchens and Prince Salim, these remain origin stories rather than established historical facts.

So, is jalebi Indian?

Jalebi's ancestry may lie in West Asia, but its present-day identity has been shaped by centuries of Indian culinary traditions. From festivals and weddings to religious occasions and breakfast tables, the sweet has firmly become part of India's food culture.