Imarti (Urad Dal Flower-Shaped Sweet)
इमरती
Imarti is one of the most visually distinctive sweets in the Indian mithai canon — a large, flower-shaped sweet made by piping fermented urad dal batter in a spiral pattern into hot ghee (first as a ring, then smaller circles around it to create the flower shape), deep-fried until crispy and golden, then soaked in a fragrant saffron-cardamom sugar syrup. The result looks like a gorgeous, amber-coloured, lacy flower and tastes like a more robust, nuttier cousin of jalebi — crispy on the outside (where the syrup has caramelised on the fried surface), soft inside where the syrup has soaked in, with a subtle sourness from the fermented batter. Imarti is larger and more substantial than jalebi and has a deeper, more complex flavour from the urad dal.
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Hard
Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min
Ingredients
Method
Drain soaked urad dal. Grind to a very smooth, thick, fluffy batter using minimal water (it should be thicker than jalebi batter — about thick cream consistency). Add rice flour, food colour, and salt. Ferment 4 hours at room temperature for a slight tang (or use unfermented for neutral flavour). Make one-string sugar syrup: heat sugar and water, add cardamom and saffron. Keep warm on very low heat.
About 10 min
Tip: The batter must be very smooth — any graininess will cause the imarti to break during piping. Grind at least 5 minutes.
Fill a piping bag or squeeze bottle with a star-shaped nozzle (the star disc creates the lacy texture). Heat ghee to 160°C in a wide, shallow pan. Practice the piping pattern first on a flat surface: pipe a large central ring, then smaller concentric rings inside, then petals radiating outward to create the flower shape.
About 5 min
Tip: Practice the piping technique before the ghee gets hot — the pattern must be piped in one continuous motion before the batter starts to set.
Pipe imarti directly into hot ghee — the batter should set immediately into shape. Fry 2–3 minutes per side until crispy and golden. Remove with slotted spoon. Dip immediately in warm sugar syrup for 30–45 seconds. Remove. The imarti should be slightly sticky and glowing from the syrup. Serve warm.
About 20 min
Tip: The width of ghee should be no wider than one imarti so you can control the piping precisely. Shallow frying allows you to see and control the shape.
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 26 g
- Sodium
- 160 mg
Contains: dairy
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Recipe by Boon Tools.