The rice jalebies or moutay is a traditional dessert of Indian origin which is crispy, sweet, comforting and very addictive. Ideal as a dessert to finish off a spicy lunch or as an afternoon snack.
Moutay
The moutay can be served warm or cold. In Seychelles we do do serve them with any other accompaniments. They are eaten as is, cold. They have a somewhat fleshy chewy texture, created by the roughly ground rice , with a crystallized sugary exterior coating.
The size of the Seychellois moutay is thicker and fleshier that the Indian version and does not have as many coils. And it does not use yoghurt as an ingredient. Traditionally, a funnel or lantonwanr was used instead of the piping bag. The lantonwanr, which was a home-made funnel, was made up of half a coconut shell with a short hollow pipe, usually bamboo, inserted into the soft eye of the shell. The cook would place one finger on the hole at the end of the pipe, spoon the batter in the shell and then release the finger so that the batter falls in continuous circles in the hot oil. Once the appropriate number of coils are achieved the finger plugs the pipe to stop the batter from continuously dropping in the oil. The funnel is moved to another section of the hot oil and the process starts all over again for the next jalebie. I still use a funnel as I tend to have more control when dropping the batter in the hot oil.
The modern way to form the coils is to use plastic squeeze bottles that can be purchased at many grocery stores. You can also use a recycle an empty ketchup bottle, just be sure to wash it thoroughly before use. If you do not have a squeeze bottle available, you can pour the batter into a food-grade plastic bag, and cut a small hole in one corner of it when you are ready to dispense the batter. You can also use a piping bag. In all these cases, I suggest that you have some practice runs to ensure that you can do the coils properly and that you are squeezing at the correct pressure to give you consistent size coils.
It is critical that you get the correct consistency for the batter; bearing in mind that there are different types of rice and that they all adsorb moisture as different rate. I prefer Jasmine rice because it tends to make the moutay more fleshy. Your batter should resemble a thick pancake batter. If the batter is too thick, add water a bit at a time and stir well between additions. If the batter is too thin, stir in additional flour one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, it will not come out of the dispenser correctly, and if it is too thin, it will be difficult to shape.
Some people may add food colouring to the batter. This is a personal choice but the traditional jelabies do not have any colouring added. However, the syrup may have some flavouring added.
When you prepare the syrup you have to ensure that it is at the correct consistency, which in this case is at the single-thread consistency. For this you require to perform a simple test. Dip a spoon or spatula into the syrup and lift it out. Wait a moment and carefully pick up a drop of syrup on your finger. Then touch your finger to your thumb and pull them apart slowly to see how many threads of syrup form. If no thread forms, or it breaks quickly, your syrup is not yet cooked enough. If multiple threads or a sheet forms, you have reduced the syrup too much, and need to add some additional water or begin again.
Remove the syrup from the heat. Do this as soon as it reaches the desired consistency. Keep the syrup near at hand, as you will soon be soaking your hot jalebi in it.
There are many versions of this recipe and this one is my version as was made by Velou, an Indian shopkeeper who had a small shop in the 1960’s in the Village of Grand’Anse on Praslin Island.
The rice jalebies or moutay is a traditional dessert of Indian origin which is crispy, sweet, comforting and very addictive. Ideal as a dessert to finish off a spicy lunch or as an afternoon snack.
- 1 cup rice ( 200 g) preferably jasmine rice
- 2 cups plain flour ( 240 g)
- 1½ cups warm water ( 375 ml)
- 7 g dried yeast
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 cup water ( 250 ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar ( 200 g)
- ½ tsp Vanilla
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Soak rice for about 12 hours or overnight.
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Drain on a cloth and roughly blend or use the pestle and mortar as was done traditionally. You need to feel the crunchy bits of rice when you bite into a jalebie
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Add the warm water and yeast to the blended rice and stir. Rest for 15 minutes.
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Gradually add flour to a smooth batter. Stir until there are no lumps and a thick batter is formed. The batter needs to flow slowly through the pipping bag or funnel with little pressure. If the batter is too thick, add a little water at a time until you reach the correct consistency. Some rice may absorb more water that others.
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Cover with a cloth and let rest for another 30 minutes to allow the yeast to start working. You will soon start to see small bubbles appearing in the mix.
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While the batter is resting start preparing the syrup as detailed below.
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Add sugar and water to a pan and bring to a boil.
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Turn the heat down until it is just barely bubbling.
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Cook the syrup until it reaches the single thread stage. This should take around 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat
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Watch the syrup carefully to make sure it doesn't burn
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Once ready, remove from heat and keep. You will need it to be warm when you start soaking your jalebies in it.
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Heat oil in a pan or wok
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Ensure the oil is not too hot. To test for the right temperature, drop a small amount of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top of the oil, the oil is hot enough. Keep the flame on medium at all times to ensure all round cooking of the jalebis.
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Give the batter a quick stir with a spatula, but do not over-mix. Then pour it into a piping bag or a clean squeeze bottle or a condiment dispenser. The nozzle should be close to .75cm nozzle.
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Pipe some of the batter into the oil in coils or spirals working closely from the center out. The jalebies should about 9cm wide containing about three thick coils. Only make 3-4 jalebies at a time to avoid crowding the pan. Great care is required here because you have to operate very close to the hot oil. The steam which is created by the the frying process, as well as any splash of oil, may burn you. Forming the jalebies is the tricky part, and does take a bit of practice. You may find that the coil tends to open up if you are too slow.
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Fry the jalebies until they are crisp and golden brown. The batter will first sink to the bottom, but will quickly pop back up and float to the top.
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After a minute or two, flip the jalebi over so they cook on both sides. Then remove them from the oil and drain for a moment on paper towels.
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Then transfer each jalebie into the warm syrup . Start your next batch of jalebi cooking while the first is soaking the syrup.
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Place the jalebi into the syrup while they are still hot, and let them soak for at least a minute, turning it over once. The jalebies should become thoroughly saturated with sugar syrup.
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Some people prefer to soak them longer, in this case you will end up with a very syrupy sweet.
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Remove the jalebies from the syrup and serve. If you wish to serve them warm, place the jalebie on a platter, or in bowls with a bit of syrup. Otherwise, remove them from the syrup and let them dry on a rack for several hours until the syrup forms a crust.
- You may decide to add flavorings to this syrup, including vanilla, and rose water
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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