Desserts for cricket enthusiasts: Jalebi in India and Gulab Jamun in Pakistan

Cricket season is upon us, with some of the most exciting cricket matches, tournaments and leagues well underway. With each new cricket season comes gatherings of people from all over to cheer on their club, and naturally, that means there’s going to be a lot of great food.

Food at cricket watching parties isn’t always about savory dishes, though. In fact, there is a long history of sweets and cricket, as it’s a celebration of the most-watched sport in that part of the world.

Iconic Desserts in Cricket Culture

Cricket culture takes on a lot of the forms of the culture that comes from the Indian subcontinent. That is, sweets have always been distributed in India, Pakistan and other parts of this area of the world to celebrate big occasions.

These include marriage or when a child is born. But, in recent years, exchanging sweets has also taken on new significance — as part of celebrations of simple togetherness and warmth. And there’s no bigger sporting occasion for such an exchange than big cricket matches.

The cultural significance of cricket in India and Pakistan

Cricket has a very long cultural significance in both India and Pakistan. It’s the national sport in both countries, something that was brought over by the British during its rule over the region.

The two countries actually have a very long rivalry on the cricket field, with the first test series taking place between India and Pakistan in 1952. That was only five years after both Pakistan and India were created after winning independence from British colonizers.

Today, this rivalry rages on, with any cricket match between the two nations in any form taking on huge significance.

Role of jalebi and gulab jamun in cricket celebrations

In the early years of cricket in these two new nations, much of the fare that was enjoyed while watching cricket matches was British in nature. But, over the years, more regional foods began to replace them — making the celebrations uniquely Pakistani and Indian.

Instead of traditional British dishes, families chowed down on some halal dishes, followed by desserts of jalebi and gulab jamun, among others. These have had cultural significance in cricket celebrations for years now.

Cricket Season 2024: Schedule and Highlights

There are many action-packed events during the cricket season 2024. Some upcoming Twenty20 Internationals matches include Pakistan taking on New Zealand in April, and Ireland and England in May. India is set for a T20 match against Zimbabwe in July.

In domestic action, the Indian Premier League kicked off in March and will run through May. It’s often thought of as the top cricket league in the entire world.

How desserts like jalebi and gulab jamun become part of the cricket festivities

Jalebi and gulab jamun became part of cricket festivities in Pakistan and India as watchers from the regions began to make it more personal. As they got further and further away from their colonial rulers, they became more independent from a cultural perspective, too, which resulted in them bringing food into their celebrations that was more reflective of their unique cultures.

Gulab Jamun: A Sweet Favorite in Pakistan

Galub jamun is a classic sweet that’s served in Pakistan, made with milk solids, rose water, cardamom powder and sugar. It’s typically enjoyed at celebration meals and the most festive occasions.

Historical background and cultural importance during cricket matches

As cricket matches are some of the most festive occasions in Pakistan, galub jamun is often served at watching parties as a celebratory sweet.

Step-by-step recipe for making gulab jamun using milk powder

Add 1.5 cups sugar and 4 green cardamoms (lightly crushed) to a pot.
Add 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Do so until the syrup starts to look slightly sticky.
Mix together 1 cup of milk powder, ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of maida or all-purpose flour and a pinch of baking soda.
Once the mixture is formed, add 1 teaspoon of ghee, and mix well.
Separately, mix 1 tablespoon of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of milk. Then, pour 1.5 tablespoons of this mixture into the flour mixture. Mix and use more if needed, until the dough is slightly sticky.
Divide the dough into 14 equal portions and smooth them out into balls.
Pour ghee into a hot pan. Then, gently fry the balls for one to two minutes on medium. Reduce the heat to low and fry until they’re golden.
Strain the ball, then add them directly to the hot sugar syrup.

Jalebi: A Crispy Delight from India

Jalebi is a sweet and crispy dessert from India. People here serve it during celebrations, and it’s also a very popular street food. It’s similar to gulab jamun, but a little different, too. It’s shaped as a spiral, and is juicy and crisp.

Origin and popularity of jalebi in Indian cricket events

Much like galub jamun, jalebi is served at cricket-watching events in India because it’s a celebratory occasion. And, like other sweets, these are served in this sort of situation.

Detailed process of making jalebi

Add sugar to a pot. Pour water over it and boil until it reaches a one-string consistency (as a syrup).
Pour in one teaspoon of lemon juice, and add cardamoms and saffron (optional). Mix it up and set it aside.
Make your batter by adding corn flour, turmeric and maida. Mix this well and next add curd.
Start by adding ¼ cup of water to the mixture, and add more if you need. You want the batter to be thick but smooth as you mix it.
Beat the batter with a whisk for four to five minutes until it turns smooth.
Add lemon juice and mix together.
Heat ghee for frying. While it’s heating up, add some baking soda to the batter and mix gently.
Put a few tablespoons of the battle into a sauce bottle. Once the oil is hot, squeeze the batter in a spiral-like form in the hot pan.
Fry them for one minute on low hit and remove from the pan. Add to the warm sugar syrup and let them soak for two to three minutes.

Crafting the Perfect Batter

If you want to make the perfect jalebi batter, you have to have the right consistency. It should flow freely but also be thick. When it is, it will fry up perfectly and come out just right.

Ingredients and methods for making the batter for jalebi

You have two options for the batter. You can add corn flour, or if you want to ferment it, you will add besan instead. The corn flour mixture will allow you to make the batter much quicker.

Role of corn flour and baking powder in achieving the perfect texture

Corn flour will allow you to make your jalebi batter without fermentation. This is the much preferred route for many, as it takes a lot less time.

Mastering the Warm Sugar Syrup

The key with the warm sugar syrup is to not heat it too long, or else it will burn. You want it to be one-string consistency. You can check this by taking a small portion between your forefinger and thumb. Gently move these fingers apart, and look to see if a single strand of the syrup forms.

Commonalities in preparing sugar syrup for both desserts

The sugar syrup for both of these desserts is quite similar. They can be flavored with things such as cardamom and lemon juice, or even other things.

Frying and Finishing Touches

Much like the sugar syrup, the key here is to make sure that your oil (or ghee) is hot enough but not too hot to fry. If it’s not hot enough, then your batter will just soak up the oil and become soggy. If it’s too hot, it could easily burn.