Christmas-Special Kulkuls Recipe

Kulkul is a traditional Kuswar sweet made by the Catholic communities of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka during Christmas. These delightful treats are deep-fried until golden brown and are irresistibly delicious.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Total Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings

Ingredients

350 gm All-purpose flour (or Maida)
100 gm Semolina (or sooji)
100 gms Powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
100 gms Butter
4 Eggs
Milk, as required, to bind the dough
Oil, for deep frying

For the glaze:

1 heaped cup Granulated sugar
1/3 cup Water

Instructions

Mix all the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and stir it into the dry mixture. Add the eggs and stir them in until it forms a crumbly, shaggy mass.
Add milk, as required, to bring the dough together. It should be a little “tight” like poori dough and not soft and supple like chapati dough. Place the dough in an airtight container and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator to allow the semolina to swell and soften.
Next day, pull the dough out of the fridge and allow it to return to room temperature before rolling and shaping it.
Break off large pea sized pieces of dough and use kulkul moulds to shape it into curls. Or use the back of a fork to do the same – stretch the dough portion across the back of the fork’s tines and then gently roll the dough up into a curl and seal the flap to prevent it from opening up during frying.
Place these on a clean plate/tray, without touching each other, until all the dough is used up.
Heat the oil in a kadhai/ frying pan and fry the dough curls in batches on medium-low heat, agitating and tossing often, until they are a deep golden brown. Allow to drain on paper towels and cool completely before glazing.
For the glaze, place the sugar and water in a wide pan and set it on medium heat. Shake the pan occasionally but do not stir. Heat until the sugar has melted and then lower heat further to cook for a few more minutes until the syrup thickens and reaches the soft ball stage.
Take it off the heat and immediately toss the cooled kulkuls in it until they are well coated. Separate them and spread them out on plates/trays to cool completely before transferring them to airtight jars for storage or gifting.