Purba Medinipur, West Bengal

Muger Jilapi of Medinipur

Muger jilapi (also called papri) is a jilapi/jalebi made from a moong-dal (split green gram) batter instead of wheat flour, giving it a lighter, grainier texture than the usual maida version; it is described as a traditional jilapi associated with Medinipur district. The sweet became famous at the village of Haur in the Panskura block of Purba Medinipur, where it is rumoured to have been invented by the late Pulin Bihari Bhowmik, with another theory linking it to the nearby Rajbari. Street stalls fry it to order, especially around the Rath Yatra season, and it is a signature street sweet of the district. A buyer gets a hot, unique jalebi variant that is not standard in other Bengali towns.

Typical price: ₹50-300

Buying tip: Buy it hot, straight off the fryer at a street stall - it is best eaten the same day and does not keep, so order it as part of a meal stop rather than as a packed souvenir.