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Gulgula in a white bowl with pink flowers at the top right
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Gulgula Recipe

Deep-fried Indian dougnuts that's crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Course: Sweet Treat
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: gulgula, gulgule, indian doughnut, pue
Servings: 30

Ingredients

  • 1&1/2 cup self-raising flour see note 1
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoon dessicated coconut
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon almond powder
  • 1&1/4 cup cold milk see note 2
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and almond powder and mix well.
  • Slowly add in the milk (you may not require all of it) and use a whisk or your hands and beat the mixture until well combined. The batter will be thick and a little sticky.
  • Heat some oil in a pan, on medium heat. You should have enough oil to immerse the gulgula batter. Take some of the batter, using your fingertips and drop it into the oil.
  • Allow the batter to fry gently on a medium to low heat. Do not let it cook too quickly as the inside will not be fully cooked.
  • Use a fork and gently turn the gulgulas. It should be slightly brown when ready.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove them, ensuring all the oil is completely drained.
  • Place in a paper towel lined dish to drain out the excess oil.

Notes

  1. Self-raising flour is what my mum used in her gulgulas and I prefer it this way. I added a bit of baking powder because it gives the gulgulas a nice crisp exterior. For me it is the authentic way, just as I remember it. If you want a more aerated, light gulgula you can use 1 cup cake flour and 1/2 cup self-raising flour with a 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
  2. The quantity of the milk is just a guideline. Remember weather and the season plays a huge role in the amount of liquid required. In summer flour is more wet so you will require less milk. In winter the flour is dry so you will require more milk. I made these on a freezing day so I used more milk. I also made it on a very hot day and I used much less milk. Cold milk also gives the gulgulas a crisp exterior.
  3. If you prefer can use nutmeg instead of cardamom. However, I prefer the flavour of cardamom. Some recipes also calls for vanilla essence, however in Indian sweet treats we hardly ever use vanilla. 
  4. If your batter is the right consistency you will form perfectly round gulgulas. So i suggest you make the batter thick and test a little batter in the oil. That way you will gather if you need to add more milk.
  5. To test oil readiness, place the back of a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil around it bubbles rapidly you will know the oil is at the right temperature for frying.
  6. You can dip your fingers in a bowl of water to allow the batter to slip from your fingers easily, however I skipped this step.