Imarti
Encyclopedia
Imarti is a dessert from Rajasthan
made by deep-frying urad flour
batter in a kind of pretzel or circular shape, then soaked in sugar syrup. It was one of the food items presented by Rajputs to Mughals during cultural exchanges. Imarti was considered one of the items of Raj Bhog (Royal Food Menu). Popularity of this sweet dish increased in other parts of India as Mughals expanded there.
In North India
it is often consumed with rabri (condensed milk
). In South India
, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals in Pakistan. In particular, Jaunpur
in Uttar Pradesh
is famous for its imarti.
, also colloquially called jalebi parappu (dal) or jalebi urad in south India. Sugar
syrup and saffron
is added for colour. Imarti
word is Proto-Indo European and has roots to Persian
and Sanskrit
. Imarti
is colloquel form of Amrit pak which means Recipe of Nectar.
, though other oils are sometimes used. Similarly to funnel cake
s, the batter is poured into geometric patterns, although imartis are generally smaller than funnel cakes. There is often a small ring in the middle.
Before frying the batter, sugar syrup is prepared and is usually flavored with edible camphor
, cloves, cardamom
and saffron
. The fried material is then dipped in sugar syrup until it expands in size and soaks up a significant amount of the syrup. In Northern India imartis are usually drained, so tend to be drier than jalebis. The pieces can be served hot, at room temperature
, or sometimes refrigerated.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
made by deep-frying urad flour
Urad (bean)
Vigna mungo, known as urad, urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram, black lentil [not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil ], maas , đậu đen or white lentil, is a bean grown in southern Asia...
batter in a kind of pretzel or circular shape, then soaked in sugar syrup. It was one of the food items presented by Rajputs to Mughals during cultural exchanges. Imarti was considered one of the items of Raj Bhog (Royal Food Menu). Popularity of this sweet dish increased in other parts of India as Mughals expanded there.
In North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
it is often consumed with rabri (condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
). In South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals in Pakistan. In particular, Jaunpur
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaunpur is a city and a municipal board in Jaunpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Jaunpur district is located to the northwest of the district of Varanasi in the eastern part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, Jaunpur district had a population...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
is famous for its imarti.
Ingredients
Imarti is made from a variety of urad flourUrad (bean)
Vigna mungo, known as urad, urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram, black lentil [not to be confused with the much smaller true black lentil ], maas , đậu đen or white lentil, is a bean grown in southern Asia...
, also colloquially called jalebi parappu (dal) or jalebi urad in south India. Sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
syrup and saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
is added for colour. Imarti
Imarti
Imarti is a dessert from Rajasthan made by deep-frying urad flour batter in a kind of pretzel or circular shape, then soaked in sugar syrup. It was one of the food items presented by Rajputs to Mughals during cultural exchanges. Imarti was considered one of the items of Raj Bhog...
word is Proto-Indo European and has roots to Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. Imarti
Imarti
Imarti is a dessert from Rajasthan made by deep-frying urad flour batter in a kind of pretzel or circular shape, then soaked in sugar syrup. It was one of the food items presented by Rajputs to Mughals during cultural exchanges. Imarti was considered one of the items of Raj Bhog...
is colloquel form of Amrit pak which means Recipe of Nectar.
Preparation
Urad dal is soaked in water for few hours, and stone-ground into a fine batter. The batter is poured into gheeGhee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
, though other oils are sometimes used. Similarly to funnel cake
Funnel cake
Funnel cake or funnelcake is a regional food popular in North America at carnivals, fairs, sporting events, and seaside resorts. Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter into hot cooking oil in a circular pattern and deep frying the overlapping mass until golden-brown. When made at concession...
s, the batter is poured into geometric patterns, although imartis are generally smaller than funnel cakes. There is often a small ring in the middle.
Before frying the batter, sugar syrup is prepared and is usually flavored with edible camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
, cloves, cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
and saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
. The fried material is then dipped in sugar syrup until it expands in size and soaks up a significant amount of the syrup. In Northern India imartis are usually drained, so tend to be drier than jalebis. The pieces can be served hot, at room temperature
Room temperature
-Comfort levels:The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has listings for suggested temperatures and air flow rates in different types of buildings and different environmental circumstances. For example, a single office in a building has an occupancy ratio per...
, or sometimes refrigerated.