Indian Kulkuls (Baking Around the World #4)

Welcome to Day 3 of Blogmas At Home 2024! 🎄🎅🏻✨

Today’s post is the fourth instalment of my Baking Around the World series, where I (attempt to) bake delicious, sweet treats from around the globe, in an attempt to broaden my foodie horizons! Last year, I tried out two festive cookie recipes: German Mandelhörnchen and Sicilian Pizzicotti (both of which were absolutely delicious!). I wanted to try out more Christmassy cookies this year, so I scoured the internet and picked out two more recipes. First up, we’re heading to India with kulkuls!

A quick Baking Around the World disclaimer before we get into the recipe:

While I have done/will do extensive research for each of the recipes in this series, the recipes are unlikely to be 100% authentic because of differences in ingredient availability, variations within families/regions and multiple other reasons. I'm so sorry if I absolutely butcher your favourite childhood treat (and please let me know in the comments if I have made any unforgiveable errors), but please do give me the benefit of the doubt here- I am just a baker with a serious sweet tooth, trying to broaden her baking (and cultural) horizons through tasty snacks :)

Table of Contents

• Kulkuls: Explained
• Ingredients
• Making Kulkuls
  • 1. Clarifying the Butter
  • 2. Making the Dough
  • 3. Resting the Dough
  • 4. Rolling the Kulkuls
  • 5. Frying the Kulkuls
  • 6. Making the Sugar Syrup
    • Sugar Syrup: Tips & Tricks
    • Making the Sugar Syrup
  • 7. Tossing the Kulkuls in the Syrup
• Storing the Kulkuls
• Final Thoughts
• Recipe
• Sources Used

Kulkuls: Explained

Kulkuls (also known as kidiyos, which means ‘worms’ in Konkani) are deep-fried pastry curls that are a popular Christmas/New Year treat in Goa and Mangalore, as well as among the East Indian Community. They are a key element of a Goan kuswar (a traditional platter of festive sweets) and are often shared with neighbours and gifted to friends and family.

They are made from a simple dough containing fine semolina (or rava), which is rolled into curls, by hand, before cooking. The dough itself is really easy to make, but the rolling is a notoriously involved process, which can take a lot of time if you’re making a big quantity and/or making the kulkuls by yourself. Traditionally, the rolling process is done in groups, with friends or family, to make it go quicker. The same dough is also used to make a variety of treats, characterised by their different shapes: shankarpali (diamond shaped pastries) and kormolas/carambolas (bud-shaped pastries) are the most common.

As with most traditional sweet treats, every family has their own take on the classic recipe. Kulkuls are traditionally made with eggs, though many families choose to omit this ingredient (as have I, in this recipe, because I wanted to make a smaller amount). While not an overly sweet treat, sugar can be incorporated into the kulkuls in a variety of ways: it can be added to the dough itself, the pastries can be dusted with icing sugar once fried, or they can be tossed in a sticky syrup once cool, which hardens and ‘frosts’ the curls in an opaque, white glaze. In my kulkul experiment, I tried all of these methods, so that I could pick my favourite!

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, kulkuls traditionally contain egg, but many recipes omit this ingredient. Because I was making such a small batch, I opted to go down the eggless route.

To make kulkuls, you will need:

• Unsalted butter

Technically, this ingredient should be listed as ‘ghee’, which is what kulkuls are traditionally made with. I didn’t have any ghee, so I substituted it with unsalted butter, which I then clarified (ghee is a type of clarified butter). I’ve listed the full amount of unsalted butter in the recipe, but it’s very important that you don’t skip the clarifying step because a) it will decrease the amount of liquid you’re adding to the dough and b) it will prevent the kulkuls from browning too quickly.

• Plain flour

Traditionally, kulkul recipes use a type of flour called maida. Plain flour (or all-purpose flour) is the most similar product outside of India.

• Semolina

Fine semolina (or rava) is a traditional ingredient in this dough. Apparently, it improves the elasticity of the dough and heightens the crispiness of the finished kulkuls!

• Salt

As with most baked goods, a small amount of salt is added to balance all of the flavours and make the finished product extra tasty.

• Icing sugar

Some kulkul recipes do not contain any sugar at all and instead get their sweetness from a dusting of icing sugar/the hardened sugar syrup they are tossed in. This recipe includes a small amount of sugar (because, as we all know by this point, I love sugar), but it’s not so much that the unglazed/dusted kulkuls are overly sweet.

• Coconut milk

I used coconut milk as the wet ingredient for my kulkuls, because I saw multiple recipes using it and I was hoping that it would impart a slightly coconut-y flavour! Alas, no such flavour was imparted, so I feel you could just as easily use water or regular milk (as many other recipes do).

For the sugar syrup:

Because I like my baked goods sweet, I did something that is probably very ridiculous to traditional kulkul lovers and added a sugar syrup coating to my already sweetened kulkuls. I know, I know, but they just weren’t quite sweet enough for me and I wanted to try out the different variations! I did also try dusting them with icing sugar, but I definitely liked the syrupy coating the best— I loved the slightly chewy texture and extra hit of sweetness it gave!

To make the sugar syrup, you just need two ingredients:

• Caster sugar

Make sure to use a fine, white caster sugar. It will melt more easily and evenly.

• Water

Melting the sugar with water allows you to make a syrup. You’ll also need some water on hand to brush around the edges of the pan, to help prevent the sugar from crystallising.

Making Kulkuls

There are a few steps to making kulkuls:

1. Clarifying the butter (you don’t need to do this if you’re using ghee).
2. Making the dough.
3. Resting the dough.
4. Rolling the kulkuls.
5. Frying the kulkuls.
6. Making the sugar syrup.
7. Tossing the kulkuls in the syrup.

1. Clarifying the Butter

To make the kulkuls, you need to start by clarifying the butter. If you’re using ghee, make sure to use the smaller quantity (as listed in the recipe) and skip this step! Otherwise, place your unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

Allow the butter to melt, stirring every now and then.

Keep the pan over the heat while the butter starts foaming.

Once the foaming recedes, and the milk solids that have sunk to the bottom have turned brown, remove the pan from the heat.

Strain the butter through a fine sieve, lined with a piece of kitchen roll/a coffee filter, to remove the milk solids.

Discard the solids and you’ll be left with a lovely, clear, clarified butter (ghee!). It will be quite hot at this stage, so set it aside to cool slightly while you get the other ingredients ready for the dough. You need the clarified butter to still be a little bit warm when you use it, so that it is liquid, but not super hot.

2. Making the Dough

To make the dough, start by mixing together the plain flour, fine semolina and salt in a bowl, just to combine them.

Drizzle over the warm, clarified butter and start to mix it in with a fork. I like to use a fork at this stage so my hands don’t get too messy, but you can go straight in with your hands if you prefer.

Once the mixture starts to form little ‘nuggets’, you can switch to your hands and rub the butter into the dry ingredients.

Once the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, it’s ready for the icing sugar.

Add the icing sugar and mix it through (again, I used a fork for this, but you can use your hands).

Finally, add the coconut milk (or water/milk), a little at a time, mixing it in as you go. You might need more/less than listed, so go slowly and add it gradually.

When the dough is ready, it will look a little like this: still slightly crumbly, but clumping together.

Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface, then bring it together with your hands.

Knead the dough a little, until it is soft and elastic. It shouldn’t be sticky, but it also shouldn’t be dry— you’re looking for a nice, pliable sweet spot between the two.

3. Resting the Dough

The dough needs to rest before it is shaped/fried, to help the semolina to soften and the dough to relax (I feel we all need a bit of that, this time of year…).

To do this, place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Set the dough aside like this to rest for at least 30 minutes before shaping.

4. Rolling the Kulkuls

Now we come to the most time-consuming part of this recipe: rolling the kulkuls! To do this, you’ll need a piece of rolling equipment. There are a few options for this:

• A kulkul (or gnocchi) rolling board

These boards can be made from wood or plastic, and feature vertical grooves that indent the dough when it is rolled over it. I doubt kulkul rolling boards are exactly the same as Italian gnocchi rolling boards, but I found that gnocchi boards were much more commonly available here in the UK and give a very similar finish. This method was my preference, because I think it gives the best definition and most elegant look to the kulkuls, but it is another speciality utensil that you’ll have to store in your kitchen!

I purchased a wooden gnocchi board to use for this project and it worked well! However, the dough did stick in some places at the start, so be sure to oil the board liberally before you start, then use kitchen roll to wipe off any excess oil before rolling.

• A fine (unused) comb

Many recipes I saw online had a regular, plastic comb that they use to roll the kulkuls on. Obviously, this needs to be a new, unused comb and should be washed thoroughly before it is used for the kulkuls. I didn’t actually try this method, but it seems like a good option.

• A fork

This is the most accessible method, so it’s a great option if you don’t want to go out and buy a new tool for this bake. However, I did feel that the fork-rolled kulkuls looked less polished and pretty than the others, so it wasn’t my favourite method.

To roll the kulkuls, start by pinching off a marble-sized piece of the rested dough. Keep the remaining dough under the damp tea towel, so that it doesn’t dry out.

Use your fingers to spread the dough thinly over the board (or fork/comb, whatever you’re using!). It looks very ugly here, but it won’t later, I promise!

Still using your fingers, gently push up the dough from one end. You’ll be able to see the start of the ridged pattern at this point.

Keep rolling gently, and you’ll eventually be left with a little curl like this! You want to gently press along the seam/join at this stage, so it doesn’t come uncurled when frying. I found the easiest way to do this (without messing up the ridged pattern) was to roll the curl back and forth on the board, pressing down very gently, to seal it.

And there you have it! Your first kulkul! Place it on a tray, lined with baking paper while you make the rest.

Repeat this process until you’ve used up all your dough and have a whole tray of little kulkuls. I made about 75 using the quantities in this recipe, which was more than enough for my fingers to be very tired by the end of all the rolling. If you want to make more, scale up the batch (and definitely enlist some friends/family members to help you out!).

5. Frying the Kulkuls

Once all of your kulkuls are made, you can deep fry them. You don’t want to leave them too long before frying them, because the drier the pastry gets, the more likely they are to uncurl during the frying process, so try to fry them straight away.

You can use a deep fryer for this, or you can just use a saucepan. You’ll need to monitor the temperature of the oil continuously, so, if you’re using a saucepan, be sure to fit it with a candy thermometer.

Because I wasn’t making too many and didn’t mind spending a little extra time frying them in multiple batches, I opted to use a small saucepan for my kulkuls. I added about an inch and a half of flavourless oil to the bottom of the pan and set it over high heat.

Once the oil reaches 180°C, you can add your first batch of kulkuls. I placed about 7 of mine at a time on a metal spider (though you could also use a slotted spoon) and gently lowered them into the hot oil.

They’ll start sizzling immediately, and the oil will bubble up (which is why you don’t want to fill it too full to start with/add too many kulkuls at a time!).

You want to keep the temperature of the oil at 180°C as consistently as you can, so adjust the temperature setting on your hob as needed. Remember that the oil will cool down slightly whenever you add a new batch of kulkuls, before it starts to heat back up again, so don’t worry too much about it.

Once the kulkuls rise to the surface and turn an even, golden colour, you can remove them from the pan using the metal spider/slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate, lined with kitchen roll (to absorb any excess oil). Don’t let the kulkuls get too dark in the oil, because they will continue cooking/browning a little as they sit.

Once the first batch of kulkuls is out, make sure the oil comes back to the right temperature, then add the next batch and repeat the process all over again. Keep going until all of your kulkuls are fried.

At this stage, you can skip the sugar syrup coating and serve the kulkuls as they are, or dust them with a little icing sugar. I, however, prefer them with the sugar syrup coating, so we’ll make that next…

6. Making the Sugar Syrup

Sugar Syrup: Tips & Tricks

Confession time: I have never been able to crack making wet caramel (made with sugar and water). Every SINGLE time I tried, my sugar would crystallise! It was infuriating and, ultimately, I just started making dry caramel (when you just heat the sugar by itself in the pan) whenever I needed to work with sugar. However, with this recipe, the water is actually an important part of achieving the right, syrup-y texture (and plain, white colour, when hardened), so I had to face my fear.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am SO pleased to tell you that (with only 1 failed attempt) I conquered my fear and SUCCESSFULLY made this sugar syrup! I have never been so PROUD. Here’s what I learned:

• Make sure to shake the sugar out into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan before you start.

The thinner and more even the sugar layer, the more easily and evenly it will melt, so you are less likely to end up with a dark caramel in some places, with other parts where the sugar has barely melted. Because I was making such a small amount of sugar syrup, I actually made mine in a frying pan, so I had more surface area to spread the sugar over (and easier access for brushing down the edges).

• Cook the syrup over medium-high heat.

This was my biggest mistake: I was so scared of the process that I was always erring on the side of caution and trying to cook the syrup at too low a temperature. A lower temperature makes it more likely to crystallise (though too high a temperature and your sugar will burn, so, again, you want to find the sweet spot). I found that a medium-high heat worked best for this.

• Brush down the sides of the pan liberally with water during the cooking process.

This is something you always hear chefs telling you to do, but I could never get it to work for me! The key is that you want to use a liberal amount of water when brushing down the sides of the pan, and you want to brush the sides down as soon as you see any little sugar crystals there. If you let them cook on and harden, the water won’t be enough to get rid of them.

• Don’t stir!

This is the cardinal rule of sugar work, but I always have to actively stop myself from doing it (I just like to stir— it’s a problem). Stirring the sugar will only encourage it to crystallise, so keep the stirring implements well away from the hob. If you need to help the sugar melt evenly, give the pan a gentle swirl.

Making the Sugar Syrup

To make the syrup for glazing these kulkuls, just put the sugar and water into a large frying pan. Make sure you have some water and a pastry brush at hand too, for brushing down the edges of the pan as needed.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and leave it, undisturbed, until the sugar has melted. If necessary, give the pan a gentle swirl, but don’t agitate the mixture too much!

Once the sugar has melted, let the mixture bubble away for a minute before removing the pan from the heat. Technically, you want the sugar to come to the ‘thread stage’ (about 101-112°C), but with such a small amount, it’s kind of tricky to measure the temperature accurately. If you want to check, drizzle a little of the syrup into a cup of cold water. If it forms little ‘threads’, it’s ready!

7. Tossing the Kulkuls in the Syrup

As soon as you take the syrup off the heat, add the cooled, fried kulkuls and mix well. You want the kulkuls to be completely coated in the syrup, so keep tossing until they are all completely shiny and nicely glazed. Work quickly though, because the syrup will cool down pretty fast and become difficult to work with.

Once the kulkuls are coated, tip the whole lot onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper. Use two forks to separate out the individual kulkuls, so they aren’t touching each other (otherwise they will set stuck to each other, which isn’t a massive problem, but still).

Leave the kulkuls at room temperature for about 10 minutes until cool. As the syrup cools, it will form an opaque, white glaze on the kulkuls, making them appear ‘frosted’. Once cool, the frosted kulkuls can be served!

Storing the Kulkuls

The kulkuls (whether coated in the sugar syrup or not) can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks, so they can be enjoyed throughout the festive season.

Final Thoughts

I had so much fun learning about and making these kulkuls! It definitely reminded me how much of a sweet tooth I have, because I really did prefer the kulkuls tossed in the sugar syrup (which seems to be a bit of an unpopular opinion, if the recipes online are anything to go by!). I really loved the texture the sugar syrup added though, and I do think that the syrup-coated kulkuls stayed fresher for a bit longer because all of the delicious crispiness was sealed in.

Taste-wise (and this is probably outrageous to say), these really did remind me of Rich Tea biscuits?! If you’re not familiar with these biscuits, they’re basically just a super plain, sweet biscuit, and, honestly, without the glaze, the kulkuls taste very similar. Rich Tea biscuits aren’t deep-fried, but I didn’t feel like the kulkuls had a super deep-fried taste/feel either (actually, they had a similar dryness to a Rich Tea, but this could also very possibly be because of my recipe/technique). I was a little disappointed that you couldn’t taste more of the coconut flavour, but I do wonder if they wouldn’t be so authentic if they tasted like coconut. I did see one recipe that included ground cardamom in the dough, which I think would be really delicious! I’d also be interested to see if kulkuls made with eggs were very different to these ones— I imagine they’d be slightly richer?

Overall, I don’t think these were quite as up my alley as the almond-y cookies from last year’s Baking Around the World, Christmas Cookie adventures, but they were fun to make and eat all the same!

Have you ever had kulkuls before? Did I make them right? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Gemma

xxx

Recipe

Sources Used

Aromatic Essence: Kalkal Recipe | Goan Kulkuls {Eggless}

Maunika Gowardhan: Traditional Goan Kulkuls

Hilda’s Touch of Spice: Kulkuls (Traditional Goan Sugar-Glazed Curls)

Babs Projects: Kulkul | Kidiyo

Celebration In My Kitchen: Carambolas/Kulkuls

Veena Patwardhan: Light, Crunchy Kulkuls Recipe

Veg Recipes of India: Kulkul Recipe | Eggless Kalkal Recipe

Messy Cooking Always Vegan: Vegan Christmas Kulkuls