Kulkul ~ A Mangalore Christmas Delicacy

Kulkul, the name itself may sound strange.This is a Mangalore Christmas sweet goodies, prepared as part of Kuswar goodies, and speaking about this snack makes me nostalgic.When we were at Bangalore nd during our casual visit to my dad's cousins, they were preparing this snack & so I tasted it first at their place during Christmastime. Me and my sis, always referred to this as sweet puzhu(worm).We all fell in love with the worm like shape, or you call it a shell like; my mom immediately jotted down the recipe and thereafter mom made this for every Christmas as we loved them. So, that's my deep relation to kulkuls, this is a sweet crunchy deep-fried snack which can be kept on munching. And so, kids can help you roll these shells in this holiday season, try making it with them and enjoy!!

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 15 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ a small bowl

Ingredients

maida 2 cups (250 gms)
sugar 1 tbsp
warm oil 1 tbsp
egg 1 (optional)

cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
coconut milk (thick) /whole milk /leuk warm water 1/4 cup

water 2 tbsp
salt a pinch

for glaze (optional)
sugar 1/2 cup

cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
water 1/4 cup

Watch on YouTube-

 

Method

-Sift the flour, add salt, sugar, oil and egg.Knead the dough by adding coconut milk/whole milk/water in a smooth dough.The dough shouldn't be very sticky or too tight/dry.Leave aside for 10 mins.
-Make small marble sized balls.Keep the remaining dough covered all times. Using the back of a fork or cheese grater with small holes, flatten the marble sized dough on it.Press it down to engrave and roll it over like worms.Place the finished ones on a oil greased tray.

-Heat oil in a wok/kadai on medium flame.Slide the kulkuls into the oil (without the oil splattering).The kulkuls will remain down, wait till it reaches the surface.Turn both sides and keep mixing with a slotted spoon till it's slightly browned.Drain on a paper towel and cool the kulkuls completely for 2-3 hours.

-In another pan, heat the sugar, cardamom powder and water in a pan.Let it come to boil and wait till it reaches the right consistency.The sugar coats the back of a spoon or when it reaches a one thread consistency, put off the flame.
-Add the fried kulkuls in it and mix well so that it coats all of them equally.
-Wait till the sugar crystallizes on the kulkuls.Serve hot with tea !!

NOTES
* If you are not glazing the kulkuls add about 2 tbsp more sugar in the dough and make dough.They taste good that way too, but make sure to fry on low heat as sugar added kulkuls brown faster.
* Some people add baking powder to the dough, I tried it once using that method too.But that gives chubby kulkuls and are softer to chew not crunchy, somehow I didn't like that.
* You can omit the egg & prepare these too, egg makes the kulkuls plumper and soft inside whereas the outside remains crunchy.

* Add hot oil well to incorporate in the flour. You can replace the oil with butter, but butter used ones may turn rancid during long storage.

* You can add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract instead of cardamom powder.