The dark brown bite-sized treats that we lovingly call gulgule (round puffs) are essentially the Indian version of doughnuts, but less sweet. They are a perfect bliss to eat with a cup of chai. I remember my mom used to make these for the entire family, especially on a cold rainy day. This week when it won’t stop raining here in Vancouver, all I could think was to make gulgule. Like any fried snack, they’re not a picture of health. However, they are amazingly delicious and indulgent to make every once in a while.
As I write this post it is still raining. Be sure to watch the video to see the recipe in action.
Making gulgule is easier than you think, requires minimal time, and few cheap ingredients. It’s just water, flour, and jaggery (or sugar). You need to dissolve jaggery/sugar in water and make a thick batter with whole wheat flour (of course, I used gluten-free flour in this recipe), a bit of baking powder ( somehow it didn’t work with oat flour so I used baking soda), coarsely ground fennel seeds and fry them on medium heat. You can always experiment by using spices of your choice. But the recipe I shared is basic and traditional.
The consistency of the gulgule wheat batter is supposed to be similar to the pakora batter but for the gluten-free flours that I used you need to keep a little thicker almost like the Dahi vada batter. You can watch the video for guidance. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil in a karahi or deep non-stick pan and fry on a medium flame, till they turn brown from all over. Do not hurry in frying them. Do it patiently as the inside needs to be cooked well. Also don’t drop the dough from too far away, as it can cause the oil to splatter.
These gulgule have a slightly crisp exterior and soft and chewy (only the gluten-free ones) interior. This is one of the easiest recipes you will attempt. Once you make this — be careful, you may fall in love with these simple rustic treats ha, ha. I wouldn’t be too surprised if you did. They’re so good! Make them in a larger quantity. They can survive without refrigeration in a cool spot of the kitchen for up to a week. Just rewarm in the microwave before serving or, better yet, the Airfryer, which will help crisp them up a bit. Serve them warm with a cup of adrak waali (ginger) chai to your loved ones.
Here is another very very simple and easy snack recipe that I loved eating when I was a kid.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1/8 scant tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp saunf, coarsely ground
- 1/4 cup water plus more as needed
Instructions
- Add coconut palm sugar to a mixing bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup water and mix.
- Once the sugar dissolves add oat four, tapioca starch, baking soda and coarsely ground saunf.
- Now add more water little by little to make a batter which has a consistency similar to that of pancake batter. Leave it aside so it firms up a bit like lentil vada batter (watch video for guidance).
- Now heat sufficient oil in a karahi (frying wok).
- Dip your spoon in water and drop spoonfuls of batter in medium hot oil. Do not add too many at a time. Keep rolling the skimmer in oil to make the dough holes roll over and turn nice brown.
- Delicately lift doughnut holes with a wok skimmer, draining as much oil as possible, and transfer them onto paper towel.
- Fry all gulgule until you use up the batter.
- Serve them hot or warm. Don’t forget to make a cup of ginger tea to have along.
angiesrecipes
They look so crunchy and I bet that you can’t eat just one or two. Love mine with a cup of warm ginger tea 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs
I haven’t heard of these — they look quite good. Thanks!
Pam
I’ve never had these before but I have a feeling I would love them.
Pattie
These look yummy! When I was little, on the rarest of occasions, my mother would make homemade donuts. The crunchy exterior, and fluffy interior, made an impression on me that I have never forgotten.
Kelly | Foodtasia
Balvinder, the texture of these look so yummy! How perfect with a cup of chai on a rainy day!