Gulgulas Drop Doughnuts by Anisa Karolia
Extracted from The Ramadan Family Cookbook by Anisa Karolia
I remember helping my grandmother and mum make gulgulas (I call them sweet bhajiyas) – bite-sized drop doughnuts with an Indian twist.
The batter is delicately spiced with aromatic cardamom and crushed fennel seeds, with the perfect balance of sweetness, lovingly fried to perfection until golden and crisp on the outside while remaining soft, pillowy and oh-so-fluffy on the inside.
INGREDIENTS
- 180g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- 125ml full-fat milk
- Oil, for deep-frying
- Icing sugar, for dusting
METHOD
Makes 15 • Time: Prep 15min, Cook 5min
- Place the flour, fennel seeds and cardamom powder in a large bowl, and use your fingertips to rub in the ghee.
- Add the sugar, baking powder, egg and milk and combine until the batter is smooth and thick.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.
- Heat the oil for deep-frying in a large saucepan until it reaches 180°C.
- Drop a little batter into the oil – if it sizzles, the oil is ready.
- I use my hands to scoop up the batter, about a tablespoon at a time.
Shape it into a ball and drop the batter carefully into the oil.
Alternatively, shape the batter using two tablespoons.
One to scoop the batter up and the other to push the batter off the first spoon.
Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. - Fry for 1–2 minutes, turning occasionally so that the gulgulas are golden brown all over and soft and spongy on the inside.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the gulgulas from the oil and place them onto kitchen paper to drain off the excess oil.
- Leave to cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar and serve.
- Add sliced banana to the batter to elevate these to the next level, and serve them with a chocolate dip.
Cook With Anisa – Wife, Mum, Sassy, Classy Cooking Queen! Author of The Ramadan Cookbook and The Ramadan Family Cookbook…
Credit: Cook With Anisa
I started the YouTube channel back in 2014 when I used to sell cakes and my first video was actually showing how I made a simple cake sponge. A while later in 2015, after posting pics of food on my Instagram I used to get lots of requests for recipes of what I had posted and it made me think back to when I was learning to cook, and apart from my mum if I asked anyone else I just got a load of excuses, people just wanted to keep recipes for themselves, and many others experienced the same.
Since then it’s been my mission to try and make sure anyone from whichever background is able to cook and enjoy good home cooked food especially the food I grew up enjoying from my childhood and I’ve never looked back since.
When I first started, I thought even if I could teach one person this life skill then that was my job done, but I get messages on the daily from teenagers and upwards trying out recipe’s and asking my advice, really makes me happy.
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