There is no Kuswar or Christmas plate without kulkuls. A traditional Christmas sweet that's sweet, crunchy, and crisp. A surprisingly simple and easy recipe but fairly time-consuming so make sure to get kids, family, and friends to help.
As a kid, one of the Christmas sweets all kids must help with is of course shaping kulkuls and Naveries. While it is fun to be sitting in the group and shaping these it can also be quite boring to make the same shape over and over again.
But, when they were fried OMG, so delicious. You can never stop at a few these will have you wanting for more and more.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - we use all-purpose flour or maida for these to make the dough smooth.
- Semolina - gives the kulkuls a crumbly mouthfeel that melts in the mouth.
- Ghee - Has a strong flavor and aroma. It is a saturated fat but this gives these a richer more delicious flavor that's much better than butter or clarified butter.
- Powdered sugar - helps blend into the dough, unlike regular granulated sugar which would give it a gritty mouth feel.
- Vanilla - it enhances the flavor of the ghee and makes it richer.
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Kulkuls - East Indian Christmas Sweets
Print Pin RateEquipment /Tools
- Bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Saute Pan
- Slotted spoon
- Kul Kul comb
Ingredients
Pastry dough
- 400 grams (3 cups) All-purpose flour plain flour
- 200 grams (1 cups) Semolina soji / rawa - fine grain
- 113 grams (½ cups) Ghee - melted and cooled or clarified butter
- 125 grams (1 cups) Powdered sugar confectioners sugar/icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) Salt
- ¼ - ½ cup (4 - 8 tablespoon) Milk or coconut milk
Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoon Milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Deep frying & dusting
- 1 ltr Canola oil
- 150 grams (1.25 cups) Powdered sugar confectioners sugar/icing sugar
Instructions
Kulkuls
- Rub - In a large bowl combine the flour and semolina. Rub with the melted and cooled (slightly warm) ghee so each and every grain is coated with the ghee.
- Dough - Add the powdered sugar and salt - combine well. Then, add just enough milk to make a soft dough.
- Rest - Cover the dough with a clean damp kitchen cloth - let rest for at least half-hour.
- Divide - Divide the dough into small balls. Roll them smooth and keep them covered while you work on the rest.
- Shape - Flatten each ball over a kul kul comb, fork, or clean unused hair comb. Then, roll into a shell or cylinder shape. Continue until you have used all the dough. Pro tip - Make sure to press the ends downs slightly so it does not open when deep-frying
- Cover - Keep the prepared kulkuls covered with a clean damp kitchen cloth to prevent them from drying out.
- Deep fry - Heat oil in a large pot or deep fryer (325 F) on medium heat. Deep fry the kulkuls for about 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto an absorbent kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.
Glaze or dust
- Powdered sugar - Dust with powdered sugar while they are still slightly warm.
- Glaze - Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make a smooth paste. Drop the warm kulkuls in there. Coat them with the glaze and drain them in a colander.
- Store - Let cool completely before storing them in an air-tight container
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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