Jamaican Festival (Sweet Fried Dumplings)
In short: Slightly sweet cornmeal and flour dumplings shaped into fingers and fried until crisp outside and soft inside. The classic partner for jerk. It takes about 35 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Resting
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Festival is a long, slightly sweet fried dumpling that goes with jerk chicken, jerk pork, escovitch fish and just about any roadside barbecue in Jamaica. The dough is made from flour and fine cornmeal with sugar, a pinch of nutmeg and vanilla, and is shaped into little fingers. It fries to a thin crisp shell with a tender, steamy middle. Eat festival the same day, hot or warm, because it loses its crunch as it sits.
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
- Stir the vanilla into most of the water and pour it into the dry mix. Mix, adding the rest of the water a spoonful at a time, until you have a soft, smooth dough that is not sticky.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 12 cm (5 inches) long with slightly tapered ends.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet to 175°C (350°F), or until a pinch of dough sizzles and floats.
- Fry 4 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and puffed. Keep the oil temperature steady between batches.
- Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Tips
- Hold the oil near 175°C (350°F). If it is too cool the dumplings turn greasy, and if it is too hot they brown before the center cooks.
- Brown sugar gives a deeper flavor, and swapping some of the water for coconut milk makes the dumplings richer.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between festival and fried dumplings?
Festival contains cornmeal and sugar, so it is sweeter and a little crunchy. Plain fried dumplings are made with flour only and are usually savory, often eaten at breakfast.
Can I make festival ahead of time?
Make the dough up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator, but fry just before serving. Re-crisp leftovers in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 5 minutes.
Can I bake festival instead of frying it?
Baking gives a drier, bread-like result without the crisp shell. If you try it, brush the dumplings with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18 to 20 minutes.
How long does it take to make Jamaican Festival (Sweet Fried Dumplings)?
About 35 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Jamaican Festival (Sweet Fried Dumplings)?
About 290 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 53 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 350 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
