Summer is zooming by and I’m struggling to hold onto it’s tail strings. Ramadan is almost over and a single Ramadan celebratory food post has not appeared on Fortheloveofghee.  A friend suggested a Ramadan  post at the beginning of the month, which I was all for… well… in my head anyway!

So with out further ado and less than a week before Eid, heres a recipe you can indulge on in the next few days.  My recipe for gulgoolas, a fried sweet fritter, is eaten at the beginning of the meal after breaking fast with a glass of milk and fresh dates.

Gulgoolas are usually made sans the Cherries and Dark Chocolate, but I just couldn’t help myself…what?? with all the fresh cherries practically being thrown at me at the grocery store and my kids eternal craving for chocolate… I just had to succumb to what the season was offering…

My mum would make these delectable puffs of sweet heaven everyday for almost all thirty days of Ramadan.  She sometimes added fennels seeds, or dried currants,  some dried coconut and chocolate to the gulgoola dough, to name a few variations.  Mostly she fried them without anything at all, making it perfect for dunking into a hot cup of chaa.

 You will need

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ghee, heaped

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

a pinch of cardamom powder

a pinch of sea salt

1½ cups all-purpose flour, scant

½ tsp baking powder

18 fresh Bing cherries, pitted

½ cup dark chocolate chips or small chunks of dark chocolate

quart or more flavorless oil, for frying

 

 

 

To Make the Gulgoolas

Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat till most of the sugar has melted.

Stir in the ghee, vanilla essence, cardamom powder and salt.

Sift in the all-purpose flour. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Leave the dough aside for about an hour.

Stuff the cherries with 3 to 4 chocolate chips.

Pat the stuffed cherries dry of any excess juice. Leave on a paper towel.

Heat the oil to 325°F. Please see note below*

Whilst the oil is heating, add the baking powder to the resting dough. Mix well.

Gulgoola dough should be the consistency of cake batter.

Dip the cherries in the batter. Making sure to coat all around, especially the opened ends.

Carefully slide the battered cherries into the oil. Repeat for a couple more cherries.

 

Gently turn the gulgoolas over with the tip of a fork to ensure an even browning.

Once they have turned a light brown remove with a slotted spoon.

Drain the ‘puffs of delight’ in a colander.

Serve warm.

 

Tips

• As with doughnuts, the gulgoolas don’t keep well.
• The recipe can be halved to make lesser quantities.
• The batter can get quite sticky, so I would suggest dipping your fingers into a bowl of water before scooping out the battered cherries.  Carefully slide into hot oil.
• To get the perfect round shape, I  usually scoop a small amount of batter with the tips of my fingers and then pull towards the side of the bowl and then snap it up to prevent a trail of dough behind it.
• The batter can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.  Make sure to add the Baking Powder just minutes before frying the gulgoolas.

 

*Testing the temperature of the oil

The oil should measure about 3 inches in height in your pan. Heat to approximately 325°F.  If you don’t have a food thermometer, test the temperature of the oil by spooning some batter into the oil. If it rises after a few seconds, the oil is hot enough. If the batter sinks, wait a while longer and try after a minute. If the batter browns instantly, the oil is too hot. Turn down the temperature and test again after a couple more minutes.